


High Tide and Sharp Teeth

by peachpandabear



Category: Xiaolin Showdown (Cartoon)
Genre: M/M, Merman Chase Young, Sad Jack Spicer, but only for a little bit!, he gets better!!, idk what happened but now there's plot, this was actually supposed to be pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-11 14:45:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 39,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15317787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachpandabear/pseuds/peachpandabear
Summary: Jack had always loved the ocean.The crash of waves, the smell of salt thick in the air, the warm sand under his feet. He used to watch the tide rise from the safety of his grandmother's house, then run down to the beach to gather the washed up seashells with childish enthusiasm. He remembers the nights his grandmother used to tell him stories of the mythical beings that lived underneath its waves, the mysteries and magic that swirled just beyond his sight.He still loves the ocean, even in the wake of his grandmothers passing. He just never really thought he'd come face to face with one of the mythical beings from his grandmother's stories.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A story other than my ridiculously long multi-chapter fic? Who would have guessed? Also, clearly I have issues with not being overly invested in even the simplest of plot lines, and as always, I'm much wordier than originally planned.
> 
> I was in the mood to write some merperson AU, which is my absolute favorite trope ever. Originally this was going to be super fluffy? But it took a nosedive into plot and sadness before the end of the first paragraph so I'm not really sure what happened. It's still kinda fluffy later on but I dunno where these feels and plot came from.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it! I'm probably going to do more of these shorter stories If people like them. I've got several little ideas for things and Chack needs more love!!!

Jack has always loved the ocean.

 

His happiest memories are from his visits to his grandmother’s manor on cliffs high above the sea, and the daily trips they made down the winding path to the beach below her house. He learned to swim in the salty waters, dangerous as it was. He and his grandmother would spend hours practicing every morning, taking breaks frequently for his grandmother to carefully apply sunblock to his ghostly pale skin to keep him from burning under the heat of the sun, harsh even in the early morning light. During the heat of the day, they would make intricate sandcastles as a team, gathering pails full of sand and carrying then higher up the cliffs to avoid the rising waters, they’d sit in the shade of the cliffs above to shield Jack from the harshest of the sun’s rays. The evenings would be spent gathering shells along the water's edge, now safe under the setting sun and cool light of the moon. His grandmother would guide him back up the cliffs to her home once darkness fell, helping him clean and sort through the shells as she told him stories of the sea.

 

So yes, Jack loved the ocean dearly. It’s all he has left of his grandmother now.

 

* * *

 

 

Adelia Spicer’s funeral was a widely attended affair. Held at her manor above the sea as she would have wished it. As the matriarch of the Spicer family, it was obvious that her large extended family would attend, even her estranged daughter and her husband. However, the Spicer family were not the only guests to attend the ceremony. Among the crowd of nieces and nephews, cousins and siblings, a smaller group of mourners gathered to pay their respects. Weeping old women with tanned skin and work rough hands gathered around the casket, followed by their solemn and stone-faced husbands with their strong frames and wide shoulders. Men and women of all sizes and ages passed through the parlor, all with condolences and sad eyes, each with a different story to spread amongst the family of how Adelia had helped them somehow, had brightened their day with her presence. The townspeople of the fishing village below his grandmother’s manor were loyal and loving of Adelia’s memory. it was a mere glimmer of the praise  she deserved but appreciated nonetheless.

 

It didn’t take long for one of the old women to notice him where he stood in his carefully tailored suit, eyes dull and listless as he watched the gathering of people around him and steadfastly ignored the open casket they all gathered around to pay their respects. He watched the woman approach with tired eyes, wanting nothing more than to run away, to escape out the back door and run down the cliffs and to the beach they once spent so many happy days, but he stays where he is.

 

“Is that you, Jack?” the woman asked, watery blue eyes glistening with tears as she took him in, “My, you’ve gotten so big, and goodness look at your hair! What happened to those lovely white locks of yours?” she continues, giving him a wavering smile through the sadness in her eyes, trying her best to distract them both from this terrible day. Jack recognizes her vaguely, one of his grandmother’s friends from the village that used to come up to the manor for tea when he would visit as a young boy. Her hair is gray now, her frame tired and weighed down by age, but he remembers every moment spent in this manor. He relives every happy memory that echoes through the place, even as they try to crush him under their heavy weight.

 

“It’s has been a long time, Cadence,” he says, he cannot make himself smile, but Cadence seems to understand.

 

“It has. You’ve grown into such a handsome young man, I’m so glad you could make it.” her eyes are warm through their sadness, and he knows she means what she is telling him. He wishes he could work up the same reassurance, that this place wasn’t squeezing every bit of energy from him with the weight of his own regret. Cadence doesn’t judge him for his weakness, only places a wrinkled hand on his arm and squeezes gently. She looks around them suspiciously before speaking again, her old voice as low as she can make it, “That man is here, isn’t he?”

 

Jack doesn’t have to ask who she’s talking about, the disdain they both hold for his father is as obvious as the loud crashing of waves against the cliffs outside. He only nods weakly in response, tilting his head to the right where he saw his father lead his mother several minutes ago. Cadence squeezes his arm tighter for a moment, mouth twisted in a frown, she sighs, letting go and stepping back. When she smiles at him again, it is sharper somehow, and when she speaks, he feels some of his achings recede, the weight hanging over him lifting for a moment, “Don’t you worry, Jack, that man won’t be able to hurt you anymore. Your grandmother made sure of that.” Jack’s heart pounds in his chest as she turns away, his breathing coming out in a large huff that sounds suspiciously like a relieved sigh to his ears, his mind spins wildly in response, wishing he knew exactly what she meant by that.

 

He finds out several hours later.

 

* * *

 

 

He can hear his father’s shouting from the next room, but his angry voice and his mother’s gentle response to his anger sounds muffled and distant with the roaring buzz in Jack’s ears. The paper in his hands is high quality, thick and rich under his fingers, though the words on the pages are blurred by the tears clouding his eyes. The man in front of him congratulates him, sliding another packet of papers over to him and holding out an elegant black fountain pen for him to sign with. He does so numbly, hands moving on autopilot as the man tells him where to sign on each paper. The man congratulates him again, gathering up the papers and nodding at him once before leaving him alone in the room. His father’s shouts grow louder when he opens the door, but soon fade back into the muffled and indistinct sounds they were earlier. Jack sits alone, staring down at his hands.

 

She left him everything.

 

The house, her money, the land they own along the coast, and so much more. It all belongs to him now. The buzzing in his ears overshadows everything else, he can’t hear his father’s voice anymore, or his mother’s attempts to placate him. All he can feel is the overwhelming swirl of gratitude, it bubbles up in his chest and he wants to scream with the feeling of it. To shout his relief, his freedom from the edge of the cliff and into the ocean and beyond. Instead, he puts his head into his hands and weeps, lets his tears wash away the heavy feelings that follow him around this house. He allows himself a moment to mourn the passing of the person dearest to him, to thank her for this gift she has given him before the guilt that haunts him settles in once more.

 

When he leaves the room, his eyes are dry, and the house is silent. Jack takes a deep breath and nods once to himself, the sound of crashing waves fills his ears, and returns to the funeral to pay his final respects.

 

* * *

 

 

Moving into the manor is far easier than any move should have the right to be. He brings nothing of value with him; no furniture, no clothes, just himself and folder full of legal documents. His father had followed through on the threats he had made all Jack’s life; he took everything he possibly could from Jack, his punishment for the crime of stepping out from under the man’s thumb. Everything Damian Zaveri had the ability to rip away from his son was gone now, down to the smallest knickknack. Now all Jack has is what his grandmother had left him, a house by the ocean, enough money to live more than comfortably for the rest of his life, and the weight of memories.

 

Jack spends his time settling in at his new home, he wanders the halls quietly, checking each room he passes to remind himself of the layout of the house. It’s familiar in a distant and distorted sort of way, the place feels both smaller and infinitely larger than he remembers. Rooms that were once massive and full of hiding places and adventures are now on the larger side of average, the staircase up to the second floor less an insurmountable mountain to his adult form and more a show of grand wealth. However, the silence that lingers around him makes the hallways feel infinite, every footstep or creak of old wood feels like it echoes on for miles, and he feels smaller than he ever has. Jack carefully avoids the master bedroom and the room he used to stay in as a child, unwilling to relive the memories both will dredge up right now when his mind is already making him uncomfortable enough. He spends his first night there in a musty guest room, curled up on his side with the window open to let the sound of the ocean below him lull him to sleep.

 

The morning comes bright and early, forcing him up and out of bed with a sudden burst of lightness that he takes full advantage of. Normally, Jack is not a morning person, but the urge to chase away the ghosts that linger around the house is too strong for him to ignore. He opens every window he can find, letting the sea breeze blow away the musty smell that lingers in the air. The sound of waves hitting the rock below fills the house, and something loosens in Jack’s chest, some tension leaves his shoulders. He’s opening the last window on the first floor when someone knocks on his front door. They must have used one of the heavy wooden knockers that hang on both doors because the solid sound of the knock echoes a bit in the quiet house.

 

Jack approaches the door with some hesitation, but it’s obvious someone is here with all the windows open, so it’s not like he can hide. He opens the door warily, only to be greeted by the four friendly faces of a group of people around his age. Three men and a woman stand on his doorstep, all carrying bags full to bursting with what looks like various foods. Each obviously coming from wildly different backgrounds ーone of them is wearing a cowboy hat for fuck’s sakeー but they chat amongst themselves like old friends. The woman notices him in the doorway and smiles, drawing the others attention towards him, they all look strangely happy to see him, Jack’s not sure how to feel about that.

 

“Hello! You must be Miss Adelia’s grandson!” the smallest of the three men says, nearly vibrating with excitement. He’s probably a couple years younger than Jack himself, with a bald head and lean build that makes him just a touch taller than the girl behind him, and Jack resists the urge to hide behind the thick wood door as the kid's sudden enthusiasm hits him full force. The kid doesn’t wait for him to answer, shifting the full bag in his arms slightly before speaking up again, “We all thought you probably didn’t have any food all the way up here, so we brought you some things!”

 

Jack stares at the boy wide-eyed for a long moment, surprised by the kindness, it's only after his stomach growls in confirmation that he flushes bright red and backs up to let the four inside. “Um, thanks,” he says lamely, unsure what to say. The kid charges inside, heading straight for the kitchen without having to be told where it is, the other two men follow behind him with no more than a friendly nod towards Jack, but the woman lingers next to him, waiting for him to close the door and shuffle along towards the kitchen before she falls into step beside him.

 

“Sorry for barging in like this, Omi gets an idea in his head and there’s no stopping him.” she smiles like they’re sharing a joke, and Jack can only smile back awkwardly in response. He’s not really used to talking with people around his age, and he knows he looks deeply uncomfortable with it right now if the way the woman expression softens to an almost pitying look is any hint. She moves on smoothly, like he didn’t just fuck up her attempt at being friendly, “I’m Kimiko by the way, Omi is the one who was talking to you at the door, and the other two are Raimundo and Clay, I’m sure you’ll talk to them in a bit.” they walk into a rather noisy kitchen, the three men arguing animatedly about where to put everything. Well, Omi and the brown-haired guy are arguing, the tall one with the cowboy hat is just calmly putting things into the refrigerator like the other two aren’t even there.

 

“I’m uh, Jack, Jack Spicer,” he says nervously, taking one of the bags from Kimiko and helping her empty it.

 

“Oh, we know.” Kimiko begins before wincing, “Wait, that sounded creepy. What I meant is that Adelia used to talk about you all the time, so we figured that’s who you were when we heard her grandson was moving into her house.” Kimiko explains semi-frantically, cheeks flushing in embarrassment at the possible offense.

 

Jack gives her a tentative half-smile in reassurance, folding the now empty bag idly and setting it aside, “It’s fine, I doubt you’d be bringing me all this food if you were just some creeps trying to kidnap me or whatever.” he says, glancing over his shoulder at the other three who are now diligently putting things away, “Thanks by the way, how much do I owe you for this?” he asks, following Kimiko’s lead and moving the food to the center island with the stuff the other three unpacked.

 

Kimiko shakes her head in response, “Nothing, this is your welcoming gift!” she smiles, looking at him like this is a normal thing to do and not the huge imposition Jack knows that it is.

 

Jack makes a show out of eyeing up all the food that is rapidly being put away, “This is quite the welcoming present, this stuff couldn’t have been cheap.” he lets his hesitation show on his face, “I have the  money to pay you guys back, just tell me how much it was.”

 

The brown-haired man whips around, moving slightly around the island to slap a hand down on Jack’s shoulder with a friendly grin, “Don’t even worry about it, man. Everybody needs to eat, and you’re way the hell out here anyway so it’s not like you can get your own stuff easily.” that doesn’t exactly make Jack feel any better, but before he can say anything the other guy he doesn’t know the name of pipes up.

 

“Besides, I reckon Miss Adelia has done enough for us to more than pay for a few groceries for her favorite grandson.” he drawls, closing the cabinet doors and brushing the imaginary dust off his hands.

 

Jack’s face must do something weird in response, because Omi is suddenly in front of him with his own reassurances, “Jack Spicer, consider this your welcome into the community! Miss Adelia would be most upset with us if we didn’t welcome you properly!” there’s a stubborn set to Omi’s expression, and Jack knows he’s already lost this battle.

 

“Thanks, I guess.” Jack sighs, defeated. The four people around him laugh, expressions friendly as they make their way back to his front door.

 

“We need to get back to work, but it was good to meet you, Jack,” Kimiko says, waiting at the front door for the others to join her.

 

The brown-haired man comes up from behind him and thumps him on the shoulder again with a cocky grin, “I’m Raimundo by the way, and that’s Clay.” he introduces, gesturing with a thumb towards the man behind him, Clay tips his hat in a silent greeting, “Hey, if you really want to repay us, you should come down to town and let me pick you out some new duds. No offense man, but your outfits a bit dark for these parts.” Raimundo gestures to the black jeans and rumbled black button up he slept in last night.

 

Jack feels his cheeks flush red with embarrassment, “Ah, yeah, my dad kind of took everything I had except the stuff my grandmother left me, so this is pretty much all I got for now.” Jack explains halfheartedly, shrugging to try and offset the awkwardness the topic will no doubt bring up.

 

Clay frowns disapprovingly, “Now that ain't right.” he scoffs, the other three around him look just as offended by the prospect.

 

“Clay is correct! Jack Spicer should come down to town as soon as possible! We’ll help you get some new dudes!” Omi exclaims very seriously, but Jack can’t help but laugh at little at his flubbed slang.

 

Raimundo groans like he’s physically in pain, “It’s duds, Omi, I literally just said it.”

 

“That too!” Omi replies, unfazed and just as exuberant as before. Kimiko rolls her eyes and opens the front door, ushering the other three through the door before turning back to Jack.

 

She holds out a small, folded square of paper, “These are all our numbers in case you need anything, feel free to call or text whenever.” Jack scrambles to take the paper from her, holding it carefully in his hands so he doesn’t lose or crush it.

 

“T-thanks,” Jack says, feeling a bit like a broken record.

 

Kimiko smiles, glancing over her shoulder when the sound of a car honking obnoxiously draws their attention away. Raimundo is hanging half out the driver side window, sunglasses perched on his nose crookedly as he lays on the horn again. Kimiko rolls her eyes, “Just a second, Rai!” she turns back to Jack, “Don’t worry about it, Jack, we help each other out here. There’s just one more thing I have to tell you, and then we’ll be out of your hair.” she says, studiously ignoring the three idiots behind her as Raimundo continues to lay on the horn like a smart ass.

 

“Uh, sure, what is it?” Jack asks. A strange feeling of foreboding welling up in his stomach.

 

“Be careful around the ocean, there are some dangerous things out there.” she turns away after that ominous warning, shouting something indistinct at Raimundo. He laughs and waits for her to climb into the passenger seat before they speed off. And suddenly Jack is alone again.

 

He’s not quite sure how to feel about his new acquaintances, but he’s certainly more anxious now.

 

* * *

 

 

He ends up avoiding going down to the ocean for a couple days before he finally caves, shuffling outside to stand at the edge of the cliff and stare out into the dark ocean beneath him. The windows have been open all throughout the house since that first morning, the sound of waves making Jack feel less alone in the large house. It’s only through the saving grace of bug screens that the entire place isn’t swarming with bugs of all kinds, and he’s lucky that he’s too far out for any burglars or rowdy teenagers to drive by and see the worlds easiest target for a robbery ever. He’ll close the windows when the silence stops feeling like it’s going to eat him alive, for now, he needs the distraction from the silence.

 

His mind screams at him to think about Kimiko’s warning, but he’s sick of being locked up in the manor and frankly desperate for some memories that don’t make him want to curl up and cry for several hours. So, down to the beach he goes. He’s dressed in a too big white button down and a loose pair of slacks when he decides to walk down the winding pathway to the small beach below his grandmother's manor. Not exactly the most ideal beachwear, but until he gets his ass in gear and goes into town to buy some new clothes, he’s stuck with whatever he can find in guest room closets. Besides, cursing his poor choice of clothing distracts him from chickening out and running back up to the manor to wallow in his own self-pity, and before he knows it his feels hot sand against his bare feet.

 

When he looks up the ocean is right in front of him, waves crashing onto the sandy shoreline, the once distant sound from inside the manor now fills his ears, and his eyes sting a little at the flashes of memory the sound evokes. If he closes his eyes, he can see a younger version of himself running along the water's edge, giggling excitedly as he chases the receding waves before running back to the shore with a shriek when the wave comes crashing back onto the sand. If he thinks hard he can hear his grandmother’s laughing voice telling him to come over to her so she can apply more sunblock. The memory makes his chest ache, but it doesn’t feel as heavy here as they do inside the manor, something about the strong sea breeze lightening the crushing weight of his grief.

 

Jack takes a deep breath, steeling himself before he steps fully onto the beach. The sand burns the bottoms of his feet and sticks immediately to the fabric of his slacks, but Jack cannot help the giddy grin that spreads on his face at the feeling. He makes his way over to the water, sighing with relief as he reaches the cooler wet sand, he watches the water rush over his feet, soaking the bottoms of his pants legs and washing away some of the sand that sticks to his feet. Jack takes a deep breath, crossing his arms to hold his torso as he closes his eyes and tries to breathe. He stands like that for a long while, he’s not sure how long really; it could be an hour, or maybe only five minutes. He lets the memories roll over him like the water rushing over his feet, not thinking about them too much, just feeling. When he opens his eyes again, he feels more centered than he’s felt since the funeral, his shoulders finally relaxed and arms at ease at his sides for the first time in weeks.

 

His peace is interrupted moments later by a loud splash, the sudden sound causing him to tense up all over again as his head whips towards the sound instinctively. He can’t see anything beyond the large rocks that block this section of the beach off from the larger strip past this point, but he listens for another splash as quietly as he can, hardly daring to breathe in case he misses it. The splash comes again a few moments letter, weaker now, and followed by a strange growling trill that rumbles through Jack’s very core despite how quiet it is compared to the waves. His mind screams at him to run, to sprint back up to the safety of the manor and avoid whatever terrible thing is waiting for him on the other side of the rocks. He ignores those instincts, waiting for the waves to flow past his feet again before he steps towards the sound, steps muffled by the wet sand under his feet. Quiet splashes and increasingly weak growls continue to come from the other side of the rocks as he eases his way closer as quietly as he can, heart pounding in his chest like a drum. He takes a deep breath once he reaches the rocks, letting out the air through his teeth with a near silent hiss. He cautiously peeks around the side of the rock in front of him, ready to turn on his heels and run at a moment’s notice.

 

He can’t help the tiny gasp he lets out when he sees what’s trapped behind the rocks.

 

A merman lays half submerged on the wet sand of the beach in front of Jack. His long, dark hair covers his face where it’s splayed over one shoulder, his thickly muscled back heaving and rippling as he gasps for breath or tries to find a better position to get free from the ropes wrapped around his entire body. His deep forest green tail is still mostly submerged in the water, but if Jack had to guess he'd say it was longer than he was tall just by itself, it glints golden in the midday light as the muscles shift underneath the gleaming scales. When Jack looks closer he sees that the rope net around the creature’s body is no typical fisherman's net, this rope netting is dotted liberally with wickedly sharp, curved barbs that twist into the merman’s skin and scales and refuse to come loose, even as the merman trashes and rolls once more in the sand and water. Jack winces as the creature lets out another bone-shaking growl, there will be no fisherman coming for that trap, it’s obvious that this net was made for the sole purpose of hurting or maiming its target, not for catching food.

 

Jack’s chest twinges in sympathy as the merman rolls again with a splash, his mind once again screaming at him to run. But Jack stays, memories of his grandmother’s stories of creatures just like this one gives him the courage to step out from around the rock, even as his hands shake uncontrollably.

 

The merman’s head snaps up when it hears Jack approach, and Jack freezes in place as his silted golden eyes lock with Jack’s. The merman bares his gleaming, shark-like teeth, another growl rumbling through Jack in a warning not to come any closer. Jack’s eyes are locked on the merman’s face, and his stupid heart thumps in his chest once again; the merman is nothing less than heartrendingly, devastatingly, gorgeous, and he’s angry enough to maim a lesser man with his molten gold gaze alone.

 

Fantastic, really, it’s his lucky day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!
> 
> Let me know what you thought, this looks like it'll be either a two or three chapter thing, and I've got a good chunk of it written already so the next bit should be out soon!!
> 
> You can find my dearest beta [Here](https://comfortably-chaotic-mind.tumblr.com/) and [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_hunter93/pseuds/Shadow_hunter93)
> 
> You can find my Tumblr [Here](http://peachpandabear.tumblr.com/) if you wanna come say hi! Thanks for reading again!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! here's part 2! I think there will be one more part after this, maybe two depending on how long this last part ends up being. I'm riding a wave of creativity now so this work should be finished within a few days if all goes well.
> 
> Trigger warnings at the bottom if you need them!

Jack holds up his hands in a placating gesture without thinking about it, trying his best to convey that he’s not here to hurt the very, very pretty merman in front of him, and he for sure was not the one that set the trap in the first place. It seems to work somewhat, the growls rumbling through the merman and Jack by proxy quiet slightly, his lips lowering to cover his terrifying teeth as he watches Jack suspiciously with his obviously intelligent eyes, eyes say he's fully aware of what is happening to him and is absolutely furious about it. Jack’s hands shake visibly as he stares back at the merman. He hadn't thought about exactly what he would do once he approached the merman, and now he's stuck here having a staring contest with a deeply pissed off magical creature while his mind searches frantically for any sort of idea to get them both out of this situation.

 

Jack lowers his hands slowly, freezing momentarily when the merman growls again in warning, “I'm just trying to see if I have anything to get you out of that.” he explains, gesturing to the rope with a flick of his pointer finger, voice much steadier than his pounding heart and shaking would suggest. Jack’s not even sure the merman can understand him, but when he moves his arms again he's met with no more than a deeply suspicious glare. Which really, shouldn't be as appealing as it is.

 

Jack shakes off that thought, not the time, lowering his hands slowly and patting at the pockets of his pants. He breathes a sigh of relief when his palm smacks against the outline of his pocket knife, pulling it out of his pocket and showing it to the merman so he doesn’t get all growly again. The merman doesn’t react to the folded-up knife in his hand, eyes glancing over it with disinterest for a split second before his gaze settles back on Jack. Jack keeps his palms open as he steps forward cautiously, making sure the merman can see there’s nothing else in his hands and trying to make himself seem like less of a threat as he approaches the trapped beast.

 

The merman watches him silently, only letting out a warning growl once Jack is a step or two away. Jack takes the hint, kneeling where he is and looking over the net tangled around the merman. Several of the barbs dotting the net are buried deep into the merman’s skin, red blood already welling up from each wound and dripping down onto the sand. The net seems to have covered all the merman’s massive size, fully holding the creature with no hope of escape, if Jack could get his arms free the creature might have a chance if the flash of black at his fingertips is what Jack thinks that it is. Jack shifts the pocket knife in his hand for the merman to see it, gripping the blunt edge of the blade and pulling it into its usable state. The merman growls at the glint of the blade, his eyes furious once again as he begins to thrash around once more.

 

“Stop, stop!” Jack drops the small knife into the sand, showing his empty palms to the merman to try and calm it, “I just have to cut away the rope, there’s no other way to get you out!” he tries to explain, wincing in sympathy as another barb hooks into the tanned skin of the merman’s shoulder, unwilling to let go and yanking at the merman’s skin harshly as he moves. The merman stops his thrashing, though whether it’s from understanding Jack’s words or to avoid further pain, Jack isn’t sure. Jack sighs as the merman goes back to staring at him suspiciously, he scoops up the knife, shuffling closer to the merman when he does nothing more than curl his lip up into a snarl. Jack locks eyes with the merman for a long moment, his red against the gleaming gold of this creature of legend. The reality of that overwhelms him for a moment, but he can’t afford to second-guess himself now. So, Jack does one of the stupidest things he’s ever done, he leans towards the deadly jaws of this creature and begins to cut away at the rope.

 

Jack does his best to saw through the rope as quickly as he can with his small knife, knowing the merman could turn on him at any moment and rip his limbs off with a simple flick of his head. He works in tense silence, cutting the rope around the merman's face and shoulders as quickly as he can. He hesitates when he comes to a barb that’s stuck to the edge of the merman’s jawline, forcing him to either pull the barb out himself or cut around it. He figures it would be less painful in the long run to get the barb out now. Making eye contact with the merman briefly as he sets the knife down next to his feet, Jack carefully touches the blunt edge of the barb to let him know what he’s planning to do. The merman closes his eyes to show his acceptance, and Jack carefully places his other hand on the merman’s jaw just beneath the barb and grips his face as gently as he can, so he can pull the barb out with minimal difficulties. The merman’s jaw tenses under his hand, and distantly Jack registers just how terrible an idea this really is, but before he can chicken out he begins easing the barb out of the merman's skin.

 

The responding growl sends tingles through the hand holding the merman’s jaw, but Jack ignores that in favor of trying to ease the barb out as gently as he can. Blood drips down the merman’s jaw and onto the edge of Jack’s hand, and he tightens his hold on the creature's jaw carefully, so he doesn’t lose his grip, ignoring how his hand is beginning to go numb from the vibrations rumbling constantly through it. Soon the barb refuses to move any further, though Jack can feel that it’s only the last little hook on the tip of the barb that’s keeping it stuck, all it needs is a little tug and it’ll be out. Jack curses his luck, hoping to give the merman some sign of what he’s about to do, but the merman’s eyes are still closed tightly, and Jack has no choice but to tighten his grip on the creature’s jaw and yank the rest of the barb out.

 

Several things happen at once.

 

The barb comes loose, falling to the sand beneath them and freeing a good portion of the merman’s torso where the other barbs have yet to puncture his skin. The merman roars underneath Jack, yanking his head out of Jack’s hold and rearing back in an instinctual reaction to the pain. All Jack sees is the gleam of his wickedly sharp teeth, moving too quickly for Jack to flinch away, to react at all beyond a quick inhale of breath.

 

The pain takes moment to register.

 

His arm was partially numb from the vibrations of the merman’s growls, so it takes a few seconds for Jack to realize what exactly happened. One glance down at his arm is enough to clue him in, and for a long moment, Jack can only stare in shock. Gaping stupidly down at the razor-sharp teeth buried into his forearm with a distant sort of disbelief. When his mind catches up with what’s going on, pain makes itself very apparent, forcing a cry out of his throat before he can suppress it. It’s a high and hoarse sound that rips through his vocal cords, distracting him momentarily as tears well up in the corners of his eyes. He doesn’t dare move, even as the sharp pain shifts to a deep ache all along his arm, as his eyes overflow and tears roll down his cheeks. If he moves, he could lose his arm altogether. So, he stays as still as he can while his body shakes with animal panic, forcing him to gasp for air through his uncontrollable shaking.

 

He locks eyes with the merman through his tears. His golden eyes are wild, wide and unseeing in a panic of their own, and Jack knows that the merman hadn’t done this on purpose. This wasn’t some malicious act for the sake of it, the merman had reacted just as instinctively as he was now, though the creature's instincts told him to attack while Jack’s forced him into stillness. As the seconds stretch between them, the merman’s eyes calm, and soon Jack is looking into the same knowing gaze as before. They stare at each other for another long moment, Jack’s breathing slowly easing even as his tears continue to fall. The merman makes a strange trilling sound in the back of his throat, unclenching his jaw and carefully easing his sharp teeth out of Jack’s arm.

 

Once free, Jack cradles his hurt arm against his chest, wrapping the loose fabric of his torn sleeve around the injury to try and slow the heavy bleeding that runs down his arm and onto the sand. The merman watches him with an almost resigned expression, lips still stained with Jack’s blood as he slumps back into the sand. Jack’s instincts tell him to run, to get as far away from this creature as he can to tend to his own wounds, but once again he ignores them. He scrubs roughly at his eyes with his good hand, clutching his hurt arm to his chest even as he fumbles to pick up the knife once again.

 

The merman’s eyes widen slightly as Jack continues his previous task of cutting away that at the ropes, though his progress is much clumsier now. He makes another low trilling sound, it sounds like a question, but Jack is in no mood to answer. Jack focuses on the ropes, all he has to do is get the merman’s arms free and then he can run home, the creature should be able to fend for himself after that.

 

The work takes longer this time, Jack fumbling with the knife with his shaking hand, but eventually one of the merman’s arms is free. Jack scurries back several feet as the merman shifts, putting his weight on his free arm and pushing himself into a sitting position. He tears at the net around the rest of his body with the sharp black claws he has in place of human fingernails, uncaring of the barbs that stick to his skin as he harshly pulls the netting from his body. Jack stumbles to his feet as he does this, still cradling his arm to his chest as he backs away from the creature. His back hits one of the rocks blocking him from the part of the beach connected to his escape, but he’s too afraid to turn his back on the creature. His whole body shaking uncontrollably as he finally, really, registers the danger he was just in.

 

The merman pulls the last of the netting from his tail, small wounds dripping with blood all over his torso, he rolls away from the net that sits in a ruined heap in the wet sand where the merman had just been. He pushes his long dark hair away from his face as he turns to stare at Jack, his face unreadable, and Jack freezes under his gaze, too overwhelmed to run to the safety of his home high above the ocean waves. The merman stares for a long moment, his eyes searching Jack for something, and then he nods. Just once, a small show of gratitude for Jack’s help, before disappearing into the ocean with a blur of motion and a loud splash.

 

Jack watches the waves for any sign of the creature, barely daring to breathe until he is sure he’s alone again. Then he rounds the edge of the rock behind him, sprinting the whole way up along the cliffs until he is within the house once more. He leans heavily against the door once inside, sliding down to the floor when his legs give out from under him. He sits there gasping for air for a long while, his breathing  gradually shifting into huge, panicked sobs of relief as the reality of what just happened overtakes him.

 

The sound of waves echoes in his ears, still comforting to his frightened mind even when he knows what hides beneath the sea foam.

 

* * *

 

 

Jack was lucky that his grandmother kept a fully stocked first aid kit under the sink in the kitchen. It took nearly an entire box of butterfly bandages and a lot of painful disinfectants before Jack was certain he wouldn’t die of blood loss from the bite on his arm. It wasn’t exactly ideal, but how was he supposed to explain the perfect half-moon of shark tooth-shaped puncture marks on either side of his arm to a doctor? In a fishing village like this one, there’s no way someone would believe whatever lie he made up, and they certainly wouldn’t believe the truth. Hell, Jack barely believed the truth, and he has the bite mark to prove it!

 

It took him a long time to calm down from his initial panic attack at the back door, so long that the shirt he wore was absolutely drenched in his blood and he felt woozy and vaguely nauseous. He tended to his wound with shaking hands, managing a decent enough patch up despite his hazy mind, wrapping the patched-up wound tightly with a roll of gauze from the kit to make sure it stayed that way before raiding his fridge to help regain his energy. He bags up the ruined shirt carefully, making a mental note to burn it in the small fire pit outside so his new neighbors wouldn’t think he was some kind of crazed murderer. He set the bag next to the back door to remind himself to take care of it later and stumbles shirtless and still sort of covered in blood to the sitting room a bit down the hall, passing out on a couch the instant his head hit the overstuffed pillow.

 

His arm hurt when he woke up, a glaring reminder that yesterday had not in fact been some wild fever dream, and that he had, in fact, come face to face with a merman and lived to tell the tale. Not that he would be telling any tales, the people in the village seemed nice enough so far, but he doubts they would be so friendly if he ran into town screaming about a merman trapped in a net. Instead, Jack hobbles into the kitchen to check his bandages in the brighter light there, replacing the most blood encrusted bandages for fresh ones before wrapping his arm in new gauze and some plastic wrap to keep it dry before going to take a shower.

 

He feels better once he’s clean, dressed in more ill-fitting clothing and free of the sand that stuck to his body and the smell of saltwater that clung to his hair. He’s still trying to process everything as he shuffles into the kitchen again, packing away the first aid kit robotically and sticking a note on the fridge to remind himself of what he needs to replace. He goes about getting himself food in the same way, and before he knows it he’s staring out the window above the sink with an empty bowl of cereal in his hands, only a splash of milk and a couple bits of cereal inside it to tell him he actually ate something. He shakes himself out of the hazy feeling from the proverbial cloud of jumbled thoughts hanging over his head, washing out his bowl quickly and doing his best not to question why these thoughts feel so different from the guilt that’s followed him around since he got here.

 

He ends up staring listlessly out the large bay windows in the sitting room he fell asleep in yesterday, listening to the waves and the distant cry of seagulls as he tries to decide what to do with his day. Should he just act normal? Pretend yesterday never happened and go about his business like he would have before? He’s not sure he can do that, but he knows what he really needs is some sort of distraction, a way to get this off his mind so he can step back a little and decide what to do about his discovery objectively. The faces of his four visitors from the other day pop into his head, and he stands from his seat by the window to search for the paper Kimiko gave him with their numbers on it.

 

The search for the paper gets his mind off the merman enough for a new worry to pop up in its place: social anxiety. He stares at the small paper in his hands for a good thirty minutes, debating who the best person to call would be, and if he was being totally annoying or forcing these nice new people to spend time with him. He ends up entering al their numbers into his phone, staring down at the only contacts in his list besides the blocked numbers for his parents. He can do this, he survived a merman for fuck’s sake, talking to another human should not be this hard!

 

It’s very hard. He’s not good at this.

 

He forces himself to tap the call button for Kimiko’s cell before he can really think about it, nearly dropping his phone with a squeak when it starts ringing. He presses the phone to his ear, too late to go back now, his number will have already popped up on her screen and it’ll be obvious that he chickened out. He half expects to be sent to voicemail, is hoping for it really, but a few seconds later there’s a small clicking sound and Kimiko’s voice answers.

 

_ "Hello?” _

 

Jack winces at her voice, fumbling for a second before speaking up, “Uh, hey Kimiko, it’s Jack Spicer.”

 

_ “Oh hey, what’s up? Everything alright up there?” _ Kimiko sounds pleased to hear from him, and Jack resists the urge to glance down at this bandaged arm before answering.

 

“Yeah, everything’s fine!” a huge ass lie, “I was just wondering if you guys wouldn’t mind going with me to buy some new clothes, I’m not really familiar with where everything is in town.” his stomach rolls at the thought of navigating the place all by himself. He knows he could do it, but he also knows he’ll stick out like a sore thumb the whole time, and he’s hoping for a distraction, not a reason to feel worse.

 

_ “Um, hold on, let me check when everyone’s off shift.” _ There’s a shuffling as Kimiko shifts her phone, and the sound of typing a few seconds later, her voice is a touch muffled when she speaks again,  _ “Clay and Rai are off today, and I’m serving the early morning shift with Omi, so we should all be free in the afternoon if you want to hang.”  _ Kimiko shifts her phone again, and the slight muffling is gone, _ “I’ll need to text the other two to make sure they don’t have plans, but honestly they never have plans so it’s not that big of a deal.” _ Jack can actually hear her roll her eyes, and the corner of his mouth twitches slightly in response.

 

“Cool, just text me when you guys are free, and I’ll head down.” Jack already feels better, focusing on not fucking up this conversation the exact distraction he needs.

 

_ “Do you need a ride? I can bully Rai into coming to pick you up.” _ Kimiko sounds like nothing would bring her more joy, and Jack laughs at that.

 

“Probably? I’m not even sure my grandmother has a car up here, I’d have to check.” Jack answers uncertainly, trying to remember if there was ever a car mentioned in his grandmother’s will.

 

Jack can practically hear her evil grin, _ “Great,”  _ Kimiko sounds like her entire day has just been made, it’s honestly a little scary,  _ “I’ll give everyone your number and Rai’ll text you when he’s on his way.” _

 

“Thanks, really, I appreciate it.” Jack feels like he has to tell her, he’s not sure what he would do if he was completely alone in this, probably forget to eat and have a mental breakdown over finding a merman on his beach.

 

Kimiko’s voice is kind when she answers, understanding but not pitying,  _ “It’s no problem, Jack, we’ll see you soon, okay?” _

 

“Okay.” he hangs up, holding his phone loosely in his hands and staring down at it, maybe everything will be okay.

 

He wonders if this is what it’s like to have friends, but he shakes that thought away before it can taint the tentative hope in his chest.

 

* * *

 

 

Raimundo swings by his house a few hours later, honking the horn obnoxiously to get his attention and flashing a cocky smirk when Jack slips in through the passenger side door of his carefully maintained car, radio blasting music loud enough to cover the sound of the waves.

 

“Ready to dress like a real person again?” he asks when they drive off.

 

Jack snorts, “I don’t think I’ve ever dressed like a ‘real person’ I dress for the aesthetic alone.” he replies, leaving the window rolled down and staring out at the ocean as they drive along the cliffs back to the village below.

 

Raimundo laughs at that, and they spend the rest of the drive in relatively comfortable silence, radio blaring the whole way. The ocean looks different from here, just as massive as it does from the edge of the cliffs, but wilder somehow, the massive stretch of blue turning and thrashing unheeded by the shore. Jack lets his arm dangle out of the window slightly, feeling the sea breeze rush against his palm with the speed of the car, his arm still aches a bit, but it’s not as distressing at it was this morning.

 

They reach the village in a matter of minutes, swinging by a relatively nice neighborhood before heading into town proper. Raimundo turns down his radio as they pull up to a nice, two-story house and honks the horn twice, almost politely. The reason why becomes apparent when the curtains across the street jerk open, an old woman glares out at them for the noise and Jack finds himself waving to her awkwardly in time with Raimundo, both chuckling nervously until she closes the curtains again.

 

Raimundo recovers first, gesturing towards the house they’re parked in front of with a flick of his wrist, “This is our house, we split the rent evenly between the four of us.” Raimundo explains, watching the front door idly, “It’s pretty sweet, the only downside is Mrs. Wright across the street, she’s,” Raimundo hesitates, searching for the right word.

 

“Scary,” Jack says at the same time as Raimundo, they glance at each other in the resulting silence of the moment. Jack’s the first one to snort, sending them into a fit of laughter that distracts them enough to miss Clay’s approach until he’s opening the door and slipping into the back seat.

 

“Mrs. Wright again?” Clay guesses, adjusting his hat as he closes the car door.

 

Raimundo nods through the last of his laughter, “This is fear laughter, Clay, the only true response to Mrs. Wright’s presence.” he says, pulling away from the curb and leading them towards the town proper.

 

“Fair enough,” Clay shrugs, tipping the brim of his hat up and turning his attention to Jack, “So, how ya holdin’ up? Get lost in that big ol’ manor yet?” Jack is struck again by how  _ nice _ these people are, it’s such a shift from the people he’s spent his life around so far.

 

“Not yet, still searching for ghosts though,” Jack replies. It’s true enough, though it’s less spirits and more the ghosts of his memories. Clay chuckles anyway, but settles back into his seat without another word, Jack gets the impression that he’s a quiet sort of guy. Jack can respect that, even when he himself is the loudest fucker in any room he enters. Though he may have to give up his title now that Omi’s around.

 

* * *

 

 

They pull up next to a shop just outside the main square, it's older, without any flashy colors or sparking lights to draw attention to itself, just a quiet homey feel to it with a subtle shimmering of glittery patterns decorating the large glass window at the front. Omi and Kimiko come trotting out the doors, Omi nearly vibrating with excitement once again as they both wave to the old man that stands inside. Jack squints at the shop itself as they walk over to the car, finally piping up when Kimiko opens the door to get in the car.

 

“Do you guys work at a magic shop? Like a real, charms and talismans magic shop?” he asks, twisting around to ask Kimiko specifically.

 

“Jack, don’t ask questions,” Kimiko answers mildly, sliding into the center of the back seat with a small smile.

 

Jack shrugs, turning back to face the front as Omi climbs in behind her, “Fair enough.” he’s not going to piss off the people who are doing him a favor like this.

 

They end up parking not far from the shop itself, in front of the shops along the town’s main square, around the court building that matches exactly none of the other buildings around it. Kimiko takes the lead immediately, looping arms with Jack as soon as they’re both out of the car and half dragging him along as she moves between the two clothing stores in town. He ends up with his preferred black clothing but allows Kimiko to bully him into buying a few grays and reds to spice things up. She can be really scary when she wants to be.

 

Later, after Kimiko has thoroughly traumatized them all, they take a break at the tiny ice cream shop around the corner. Jack and Kimiko watch their table while the other three cause a scene at the counter in their attempt to order for everyone, Jack resting his forehead on the cool surface of the table to try and stamp down on the headache that’s trying to build between his ears. He decides now would be the best time to mention his adventures with the ocean, Kimiko is probably the least likely of the group to call him a crazy person, especially with that cryptic warning she gave him the other day.

 

“Hey, can I ask you a question?” he asks, turning his head to the side so she can hear him.

 

“Sure.” Kimiko doesn’t look up from her phone, but Jack doesn’t really mind.

 

“What was with that cryptic warning about the ocean the other day?” he decides to be indirect, there no way just blurting out that he got bitten by a merman is going to result in anything but laughter.

 

Kimiko glances up at him for a second before returning her attention to her phone, “Just warning to be careful, Jack, there’s a lot of dangerous things in the ocean. A lot could happen, and you’re too far out for any of us to help you if you get hurt.” suddenly Jack knows that she’s fully aware of the creatures hiding in the deep, though he knows he won’t be getting any more information out of her. She laughs when he glares up at her, proving his point entirely.

 

Cool.

 

He’s surrounded by a bunch of cryptic losers.

 

* * *

 

 

Jack gets home late that night, loaded down with bags as he struggles to open his front door, Omi waving obnoxiously out the back window of Rai’s car until he’s safely inside. It was nice, spending time with people his own age, though he admits he’s absolutely exhausted now. He’s not sure he could handle spending time with those four on the regular, but something loosens in his chest at the realization that he’s not totally alone all the way up here.

 

Now he just has the merman problem.

 

He considers his options while lying in the guestroom bed he’s been sleeping in since he got here, the gentle sound of the ocean through his window lulling him into half-asleep haze. He could just avoid the strip of beach altogether, stay as far away from the ocean as possible and away from the dangers of sharp teeth and pretty faces completely. The thought sends a pang through his chest, for a brief moment he was finally, completely calm. The weight of the memories and his grief lifted away by the strong sea breeze, not goneー it would take more than one little visit for thatー but lightened to a manageable level. For a moment he felt like he had the ability to heal from this self-imposed suffering, to move on and be happy someday, and Jack didn’t want to give that feeling up.

 

So no, Jack wouldn’t let one run-in with a merman take his beach away from him. He’d just have to be careful this time. Keep an eye on the water, just in case.

 

* * *

 

 

Despite the fact that he’s decided not to avoid the beach, he still waits several days before he’s brave enough to wander down to the water. It’s high tide when he makes his way down the cliffs, but Jack doesn’t let that stop him. He edges along the damp rock next to the path down to the beach, carefully picking his way along the flat surface until he reaches the safe, shaded spot he and his grandmother used to sit and build sandcastles in when the water was high like this. He settles into his old spot, any traces of sand long washed away by the waters that lap at the edge of his safe area. He stares out into the ocean in silence, knees tucked up under his chin and arms wrapped around his legs. He closes his eyes, letting the sound of the waves fill his ears once again, breathing in the salty air in deep, slow gulps and forcing his shoulders to relax. It takes a few minutes, but the tension and worries lift off his shoulders after a bit, allowing him to relax fully as he takes in the familiar sounds of the sea.

 

He’s brought out of his reprieve by a small splash, his eyes snapping open and head whipping towards the sound. The tension in his body is unwarranted, and it flows back out of his muscles as quickly as it came when he spots the large fish that flails and struggles against the rock, trying desperately to return to the water. Jack stares at the fish for several seconds before he shifts onto his knees to crawl towards it, Jack has no idea what kind of fish it is, only that it’s much bigger than any fish he would have thought would live this close to the shore. He hefts the thing into his arms, walking over to the edge of the rock on his knees and dropping the fish back into the water with a small splash.

 

“There you go, buddy,” he says to no one, shuffling back towards the cliff wall and resuming his previous position, soon the strange fish is gone from his thoughts, the soothing feel of the ocean lulling him back into peace.

 

It keeps happening.

 

Jack begins to make daily trips down to the beach, both at high and low tide. Each time his relaxation is interrupted by another strange object appearing near him. At first, it was only fish, fish of all different colors and sizes, appearing on the sand or rock next to him and flopping around until he moved to help it back into the water. Then it was little trinkets, shiny baubles that glinted in the light when he lifts them up, old coins covered in rust or barnacles, oysters already cracked open to reveal rows of delicate white pearls. Once he found a massive ruby necklace caught on a rock still partially submerged in the sea, Jack refused to even touch that one, not wanting to be framed for some sort of robbery or murder. He left all these strange things on the beach, having no interest in bringing anything back to the manor with him on the chance that the sullen mood that lingers throughout the place tainted the peace he found down by the water. He shrugged off these strange findings, blaming them on the tide pulling strange things onto the sand and fish being too stupid not to get stuck outside of the water.

 

For someone so smart, he sure is an idiot sometimes.

 

It all comes to a head one day while he’s resting on the rocks again at high tide, sitting closer to the edge than he normally would after helping a strange, shiny little fish back into the water. He dozes slightly in the warmth of the sun, doing his best not to fall asleep or he knows he’ll wake up covered in brilliant and painful red burns. He’s not paying attention to his surroundings much, which is why he’s caught so off guard when an unknown voice breaks the silence around him.

 

“You aren’t accepting my offerings.” A rich, deep male voice calls from somewhere below Jack.

 

Jack jerks himself out of his slouched position and whips his head around to see where the voice is coming from, finding himself still alone on this flat stretch of cliff. The water below crashes against the rock beneath him, high tide still blocking him from the small stretch of beach below. There’s a splash to Jack’s right, and when he looks over there’s suddenly a familiar merman looming over him, holding his torso above the water without so much as a tremble in his sleekly muscled arms. They stare at each other for a long moment before the merman opens his mouth, teeth flashing pearly white and deadly behind his lips as he speaks.

 

“Why have you been ignoring my offerings?” his voice rumbles through Jack the same way his growls had several days ago, and Jack’s throat clicks as he swallows thickly, heart pounding in his chest.

 

So, apparently the merman  _ could _ understand him, and his voice is just as attractive as the rest of him. Sometimes life just isn’t fair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: A bit of blood and vague description of an injury.
> 
> Thanks for reading!! Let me know what you thought and I should have next part out soon!!!
> 
> I know there hasn't been a whole lot of merman Chase yet, but that will change in the next chapter!!!
> 
> You can find my dearest beta [Here](https://comfortably-chaotic-mind.tumblr.com/) and [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_hunter93/pseuds/Shadow_hunter93)
> 
> And you can find my Tumblr [Here](http://peachpandabear.tumblr.com/) if you wanna come say hi!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic just keeps getting longer and longer, I don't know where all this plot come from, but here we are I guess! I think this will be five chapters total, It would have been four but this chapter turned out way longer than intended and has to be split into two, so we'll just have to see how it goes. I have a concrete ending for this fic, and we're getting there, I just wish I could stay on track long enough to have a short chapter >.<
> 
> Trigger Warnings down at the bottom if you need them.

Jack will admit that he didn’t handle his second meeting with the merman as gracefully as he probably should have, but honestly, he doubts anyone else would have done any better in his place. You try having a glistening, beautiful, terrifying merman looming over you and see if you can react in any other way than staring like a dumbass. So yes, instead of responding to the question the merman asked him, he sat there like an idiotー or more accurately, a deer in the headlightsー staring at the mythical creature wordlessly while his mouth unsuccessfully tried to form words. The merman doesn’t wait for him to compose himself, flashing his teeth and letting out a short growl to show his annoyance. It’s extremely effective after Jack scrambles back from the merman until his back hits the cliff behind him, he suddenly finds his voice.

 

“W-what are you talking about?” Jack manages to force out, heart thumping in his chest as he stares at the merman in front of him.

 

The merman rolls his eyes, shifting until he’s perched on the edge of the rock before deciding to acknowledge his apparently stupid question with a response, “My offerings, Human, why have you rejected them all?” he asks, expression irritated and impatient.

 

“You mean the fish?” Jack asks, trying to keep his voice as polite as possible but failing miserably.

 

The merman’s eyes narrow into a glare, “Among other things.”

 

“Err, right, I, um, didn’t realize?” Jack answers, not really sure what answer the merman wants.

 

The merman rolls his eyes again, “Obviously, but why didn’t you  _ take _ any of them?”

 

Jack sort of feels like they’re having two different conversations, “Why should I?” he asks tentatively, not particularly wanting the merman to get mad and take a bite out of his other arm. He tucks his injured arm against his chest without really thinking about it, it’s been healing nicely, and hardly even aches now, but Jack’s not exactly keen on experiencing that pain again.

 

The merman glances down at his arm, mouth pressing into an unhappy line before he continues, “I am honor-bound to repay you for your,” he hesitates, expression twisting with reluctance, “assistance the other day. You must accept an offering of my gratitude before I am able to move on from this place.” he explains, looking more and more annoyed with every word.

 

Jack nods absently while the merman talks, already deep in his own thoughts. He’d never really considered the idea of a merpersonー merpeople? ー  having some sort of culture and customs they have to live by. Which sounds stupid really, because of course they would if they all had as much intelligence as the one in front of him did. In his defense, he thought they were all myths before this, so he thinks he gets a bit of a pass on this one. The merman is watching him impatiently, waiting for a response, and Jack scrambles to reply, heart thumping in his chest, “Uh, sorry, I didn’t know. I’ll accept the next one, and you can be on your way.” he offers, giving the merman an awkward smile.

 

The merman lets out a small growl of frustration, making Jack’s shoulders tense up on instinct, “No, the offering has to be something you  _ want _ otherwise I am not properly repaying my debt.” he looks like he would rather be caught in the net again than do that, but Jack is too preoccupied with his own realizations to care too much.

 

“It had to be something I wanted and you tried to give me  _ fish _ ?” Jack asks, his disbelief practically dripping from his words. He freezes right after the words leave his mouth, but the merman responds before he can start panicking over pissing him off.

 

“It has worked in the past,” the merman replies, seemingly unbothered by Jack’s less than polite tone, “besides fish and gemstones I do notー” he cuts himself off, growling and looking away from Jack.

 

The merman looks conflicted, and Jack’s mouth opens before he has the time to think about what he’s about to say, “This is a fishing village, where people know how to prepare fish to eat, do I  _ look _ like someone who knows what the fuck they’re doing at any given time?” Ah yes, good old self-deprecation, perfect for lightening any merman’s mood.

 

It seems to work though, the merman looks him over for a second, mouth twitching into a mildly condescending smirk, “No.” which is rude, but Jack sort of brought it on himself. The merman stares at him for a long moment, gold eyes intent as he looks Jack over, Jack does his best to stay perfectly still under his piercing gaze, unsure of what the merman will do next. The merman looks away, tension-breaking as he stares out into the ocean, “Very well, I will be back tomorrow. Do not accept my offering unless it is sufficient, understand?” he locks eyes with Jack again, expression serious. Jack nods furiously, and the merman scoffs, rolling his eyes once again before he dives back into the water in a blur of green.

 

Jack watches the water for several more minutes, waiting to see if he comes back, when nothing happens he stands from his spot pressed against the wall. He makes his way back up to the manor at a reasonable pace this time, thoughts spinning with confusion rather than terror this time. He’s still deeply confused when he makes it into the manor, but he’s nowhere near as panicked as he thought he would be if he saw the merman again, so he counts that as a plus. Jack moves idly through the house and to the kitchen, going through the motions of making himself tea without really thinking about it, while he waits for it to finish steeping, he stares out the window over the kitchen sink. The ocean to looks no different than it had this morning when he first woke up, but somehow looking out at it makes his chest feel lighter, almost excited. So, the merman thing has shifted from a problem to something less easy to quantify. For once, the uncertainty doesn’t scare him. Jack can feel something stirring in his chest, some light emotion that he cannot name, it’s nice, whatever it is.

 

Jack knows he’ll be going back down to the beach tomorrow, and he’ll just have to see where this goes from there.

  
  


There’s not actually much that changes in the beginning. Jack still goes down to his beach daily, and a new offering appears at some point while he is there to be judged. The merman took the hint to avoid giving him fish, and Jack finds himself staring down at what could only be pirate treasure several times, along with assorted baubles and shining gemstones. He leaves all of these where he found them, honestly not interested in treasures when he could easily buy any of these with a quick phone call. He doesn’t see the merman on any of those days, the offerings appearing on the sand or rock next to him without so much as a splash, but by the rising worth of the objects presented, he’s likely due for another visit soon. He wants to laugh as he looks down at the small pile of jewelry the merman has chosen to offer today, all tarnished by age and the salt of the ocean. The creature has no idea what he could possibly want and being annoying is honestly one of Jack’s favorite pass times, so long as he doesn’t get eaten for his impudence.

 

He’s proven right when the merman shows his face again a little more than a week after their last talk. He appears on a rock several feet away from where Jack sits in the sand, torso resting on the surface with his tail still mostly submerged, the glare he sends Jack’s way would probably kill him with too much exposure, “You are awfully picky for a human.” The merman says, the muscles of his back ripple when he shifts to rest his head on a fist, Jack does his best not to notice.

 

“I can just take it if that would make things easier?” he offers, less afraid now that the merman is a safe distance away.

 

The merman lets out a small growl, “No.” he stares at Jack for several minutes, expression shifting from a glare to a more assessing look, “What do humans like?” he asks after a long while, less a question and more of a demand.

 

Jack shrugs, glancing down at the water as it rushes over his feet, “I don’t know what other people like, but I like robots. It’s not exactly something you can find in the ocean though, so that’s not really helpful.” he shrugs, still relaxed by the ocean being so close even though one of its predators is several feet away.

 

The merman trills lowly in reply, deep in thought, Jack looks away from him and back towards the ocean. They sit in silence for a long while, though Jack remains very aware of the merman so close to him even as he holds his legs to his chest and rests his head on his knees. Jack’s eyes slip closed without him noticing, and he startles a bit when the merman speaks up again, “Humans are usually very greedy, would you say you are exempt from that rule?” he asks.

 

Jack snorts, opening his eyes but not turning to look at the merman, “No, I’m just as greedy as any other human. I just already have all the stuff you’ve tried to give me, or if I don’t have it, I could get it easily.” he shrugs, watching the waves sway in the distance, “I don’t know, I appreciate useful things.” he says finally, unsure of how else to put it.

 

“I see.” the merman says, mostly to himself but the rumbling of his voice carries on the sea breeze.

 

Jack lets him think again, shifting back from his tucked-up position and reaching behind him blindly for his tube of sunblock. He applies it carefully as the silence between them continues, glancing at the merman out of the corner of his eye. The merman is too far away for him to see many details, but the two dark green finned ears on the side of his head that flair in and out at random intervals as the merman thinks draw his eyes, he allows his gaze to slide down to the merman’s chest without really thinking about it, there are no obvious scratches or marks on the merman’s skin, strange since Jack watched him rip the barbed net off of himself and he remembers the many scrapes and wounds that appeared along the merman’s torso from the uncaring way he removed the barbs from his skin. He’s not quite brave enough to ask about that, but the mild annoyance of referring to the merman as ‘the merman’ urges him to ask another question.

 

“Do you have a name?” Jack asks, clicking his tube of sunblock shut and tossing it back behind him.

 

“A what?” The merman asks, voice not quite confused but close enough that Jack feels comfortable continuing.

 

“A name, like, what do people call you to get your attention or to refer to you?” he looks over at the merman, who is staring at him blankly, so Jack scrambles to continue, “I’ve been thinking of you as ‘the merman’ this whole time, but that might actually be really rude? Your species probably doesn’t use the same word as we do to refer to what you are.” he chuckles awkwardly, wiping his lotion covered hands on his jeans and looking down at the streaks of white the sunblock leaves behind to not have to look at the merman.

 

The merman lets out a strange trilling sound, it begins with a ‘ch’ sort of sound and ends in a hiss, and Jack whips his head up to stare at the merman again, the merman is staring back into the ocean, but he speaks after a second, “That is the sound my people use to refer to me.”

 

Jack stares at the side of the merman’s face, “I don’t think I can make that sound,” he admits, the corner of the merman’s mouth twitches a little in response, “Do you mind if I just give you a name? Something sort of similar?” he asks, not wanting to offend and ruin the almost normal mood around them.

 

The merman rolls his eyes, shifting his torso off the rock with his strong arms, “Do whatever you like, it is of no concern to me.” with a blur of motion and a splash, he’s gone.

 

“I’ll call you Chase!” Jack yells after him anyway, whether or not he hears him is irrelevant, his merman now has a name.

 

* * *

 

Chase continues to leave him offerings, though he doesn’t come up to talk again. Hunks of rusted metal in the vague shapes of old components intermingle with precious stones, once, Jack opened his eyes to find an entire rusted steering wheel from some sort of submarine or ship right next to him. He almost took that one home with him, but ultimately, he had no use for it and really, he’s far more interested in talking to Chase again than in some old steering wheel. Sometimes, if he’s watching the water close enough, he’ll spot Chase’s head peek out of the water to check if he’s on the beach. Chase glares at him when he sees Jack looking, but that doesn’t stop Jack from privately thinking the action is cute, it’s not like Chase can get mad at him for thinking.

 

Eventually though he starts to run out of food, and as much as Jack would prefer not to have to go into town by himself, he can’t mooch off his four maybe-friends all the time. He spends all morning searching for some sort of transportation in the supply shed, eventually finding an old, plain metal bike that’s still in working condition, it’s not perfect but at least it has a basket for him to carry things in. Jack has no idea how his grandmother got between the manor and the village below without a car, especially often enough to gain as many friends as she had, but apparently she did, and he can’t really ask her about these things anymore, so he settles for the bike.

 

He hasn’t ridden a bike since he was eight and starting his first bike ride in fifteen years would probably have gone better if he hadn’t started at the top of the hill, but at least no one was around to see him screaming in fear until he got the hang of it. The ride down to the village is nice, the constant breeze from the ocean keeping him comfortably cool the entire way, which makes the physical activity much easier than it could have been. He very pointedly doesn’t think about the ride back as he reaches the village outskirts, instead slowing to a stop and pulling out his phone to search where the nearest grocery store is. He finds the store with the help of google pretty easily and ignores the curious stares of the people around him as he parks his bike and heads inside.

 

There’s a lot more staring once he’s inside, which Jack expected. Raimundo was right when he said his darker clothes wouldn’t fit in with the rest of the town. With that and his bright, ruby red hair, he makes quite the spectacle in this small of a village. It isn’t long until he begins to hear the whispers about being Adelia’s grandson, but luckily no one is quite brave enough to approach him, small blessings. As it is, the pitying smile from the older woman at the cashier is almost too much for him to handle, but he makes it out of the store without any real issues. It’s far later than he expected when he leaves the store, well past midday, and Jack hurries to load his groceries into the basket of his bike and start back in the direction of the manor, making his way back up is going to take him much longer than getting down.

 

He’s so deeply, terribly right about how much the ride back up to the manor sucks. Biking uphill his probably the worst thing he’s ever done, and it takes him way longer to get home that it really should have. He’s sweaty and exhausted when he finally makes it inside, and the first rays of sunset stream through the windows as he stumbles his way towards the kitchen. He thanks himself for the foresight of not getting anything easily perishable, getting ice cream ever is very much out of the question until he gets a car.

 

His arm aches a little when he’s finished putting everything away, and he checks the bandages to be safe. The bite wound has healed nicely, and a quick search on his phone tells him that he’s most likely safe to take the bandages off completely now, so long as he’s careful with it. The bite will definitely scar, while it will heal as well as can be expected, Jack will have the evidence of his first encounter with Chase on his body forever. He’s not sure how to feel about that. Jack runs his fingers lightly over the healing scar, tracing the shape of it along his inner arm while his mind whirls with thought. His arm looks sort of weird without the gauze wrapped around it, though there’s no difference in the color of the covered skin from the rest of his arm. The bite mark is obvious against his pale skin, a bright pink that draws the eye immediately, he’ll have to wear long sleeves until the color fades, at least when he’s around other people.

 

It’s too late to go down to the beach today, and Jack mourns the loss of his daily hours of peace, of missing whatever offering Chase had for him today. There’s nothing to be done about it now, and Jack shuffles along to the shower instead of picking his way down to the beach in the dark, though it’s tempting. As he lays in bed that night, he hope’s Chase doesn’t take his absence as a sign not to come back, Jack’s grown to like the proud merman, though they haven’t spoken much. His trips to the beach wouldn’t be the same without him.

 

He’s too tired to realize he’s been worrying too much about Chase too dwell in his memories like he does every night, instead he falls into sleep with thoughts of green scales and gold eyes.

 

Chase is waiting for him when he makes his way down to the beach the next morning, glaring hotly at him from the same rock he had perched on before. Jack hesitates a bit before stepping onto the sand, eying Chase’s less than pleased expression for a beat before he continues to his usual spot in the sand. He can feel Chase’s eyes on him as he settles and does his best to focus on the ocean in front of him instead, it doesn’t work very well.

 

“Where were you?” Chase demands after it becomes clear that Jack will not start the conversation.

 

“Um,” Jack glances at Chase briefly before looking away, “I had to go into town, for food,” he explains, fidgeting a bit in the sand.

 

Chase growls, “You should have informed me, I wasted time waiting for you.” he doesn't sound angry exactly, but Jack doesn’t really care about that with the sudden wave of irritation that flows over him at the unnecessary questioning, like he’s an unruly child that needs to be scolded. His head whips around to look at the merman and he’s speaking before he can really think about it.

 

“How was I supposed to do that?!” he asks, voice exasperated and uncaring if it pisses Chase off.

 

“I don’t know,  _ Human _ , but I don’t like wasting my time,” Chase growls again, he says the word human like an insult, and Jack does his best not to be offended by that.

 

“If you want me to tell you where I’ll be then you have to be around for me to talk to! I’m not just going to yell out into the ocean and hope for the best!” Jack argues, gesturing wildly with his hands.

 

“Fine!” Chase growls.

 

“Fine!” Jack yells.

 

It turns out to be a major turning point in their relationship.

 

* * *

 

They fall into a pattern after that. Jack comes down to the beach every day at varying times, with Chase waiting for him either on his rock by the beach or perched on the edge of Jack’s safe spot during high tide. The merman doesn’t stay long in the beginning, waiting just long enough for Jack to get settled into his spot before throwing his offering of the day at his feet and diving back into the water the second it’s clear Jack will reject it. Jack finds himself wanting to talk to Chase again, though he knows he’ll have to be quick about it if he doesn’t want the merman to dive back into the ocean before Jack has the chance to say anything.

 

He tries one cloudy morning, stretched out on his stomach on the sand with his head resting on his crossed arms, Chase’s newest offering glinting in the low light in front of him, “My name’s Jack, by the way.” he says to the general area around them, eyeing the unknown component in front of him idly.

 

Chase huffs from his rock, “And?”

 

Jack laughs, “Hey, don’t be rude! Names are important! I gave you one, so you should know mine.” He says, shifting his weight onto his elbows and wiggling forwards a bit to look over the offering closer.

 

Jack can practically hear Chase’s eyes roll, “Hm, Worm would be a more accurate name for you. You’re both just as weak and useless.” he says, voice neutral and bored.

 

Jack whips his head around to pout at Chase, “No,” he whines, watching Chase roll his eyes this time, “call me Jack!”

 

Chase’s lips twitch into a smirk, “So be it, Worm.”

 

“Chase!” Jack whines, hiding his own smile in the crook of his elbow.

 

* * *

 

“Worm,” Chase calls from his left, and Jack tilts his head towards the sound without opening his eyes.

 

“Chase,” he replies, tone exasperated at the rude nickname Chase has taken such a liking to.

 

“What is a robot?” the merman asks, tone curious but reluctant to ask the question.

 

Jack opens his eyes so fast he’s blinded for a second, he blinks furiously to clear his vision, rubbing his eyes harshly with the heels of his palms to get the final spots out of his eyes before turning his attention to Chase. He can feel himself grinning so wide it hurts his cheeks, and Chase looks mildly alarmed at the sight, “I’d be absolutely delighted to explain.”

 

Chase ends up staying on the beach late into the evening, Jack’s excited chatter unescapable to even the strongest of predators.

 

* * *

 

Chase starts to stay for longer periods of time after that, whether because he doesn’t mind Jack’s presence as much as he thought he would or because he has nothing better to do, Jack’s not sure.

 

“Chase?” Jack asks, gathering dry sand onto a large plastic pail, another pail sits behind him, this one filled with sea water.

 

“What is it, Worm?” Chase lounges on his rock, keeping one eye on the rising tides and an ear tilted towards Jack to keep track of his progress.

 

Jack straightens up from filling his pail, lifting it with both hands and stumbling back to the safety of the dryer parts of the beach as the water rises. He scoops up his water pail carefully, tucking it into the crook of his elbow, “What do you do all day?” he asks, not waiting for a response as he hustles to higher ground.

 

Chase is waiting for him when he makes it to their spot, expression bored and vaguely superior as always. He waits for Jack to settle into his spot before answering, “Hunt if it is necessary, or patrol the edges of my territory.” he traces idle patterns in the rock beneath him with a claw, webbed ears flaring out for a moment as a large wave crashes into the cliffside.

 

Jack carefully settles his pails on the rock next to him, glancing back up at Chase with a curious expression once he knows they won’t fall over when he looks away, “How big is your territory?” he asks, genuinely curious for whatever Chase tells him.

 

Chase flashes Jack a proud smile, teeth glinting bright and dangerous, “I do not know how humans measure their distances, but my territory is vast, stretching far beyond this area.” This seems to be a point of pride for Chase if the way he straightens his spine and puffs out his chest a little is any indication, Jack very pointedly looks down at his sand, best not to creep on the apex predator.

 

“You manage it all by yourself?” he asks instead, pulling a cheap plastic shovel from his back pocket and dumping half the sand on the rock in front of him.

 

Chase’s tone shifts slightly, now a touch melancholy with a bit of something else that Jack can’t quite name. If Jack hadn’t been paying as close attention as he was he would have missed it, “Yes, I am alone.” the second emotion in Chase’s voice registers a second after he speaks, loneliness.

Jack says nothing, heart twinging in sympathy for the merman but knowing any words he could say would be unwelcome. Jack knows loneliness well, but he also knows when not to push for more information than Chase is willing to give. Instead, Jack drizzles water over the sand in front of him, molding the damp sand into a lopsided mound and allowing Chase his moment to think. It doesn’t take long until Chase asks what he’s doing, and Jack dives into the explanation of what a sandcastle is easily, doing his best to distract them both from the dampened mood his question caused.

 

* * *

 

Jack stares out into the ocean idly, it’s very early morning, the first light of dawn just barely lighting the area around him. He’s here before Chase for once, and something about the early morning light reminds him of when he used to swim with his grandmother. Without the merman here it might be safe, and who knows when Chase will show up? It could be hours. Jack steps onto the damp sand, sighing as the waves lap over his feet, it’s familiar and soothing, though the waves used to feel much bigger when he was a child. He hasn’t swam in years, especially not in the ocean, and while he knows it’s dangerous to swim alone, his chest aches with longing to feel the sway of the waves against his body again, to taste the salt on his tongue and feel the sting in his eyes.

 

A splash to his left stops him from taking another step into the water. When he looks towards the sound he spots Chase, peering up at him from the water next to his rock, his gold eyes searching. Jack takes several steps back, keeping eye contact with Chase until he’s back on the dry sand. He sits and resumes his usual position of watching the water.

 

Swimming will have to wait for another day.

 

* * *

 

Chase hadn’t been in his usual place when Jack first got to the beach, leaving his rock open for Jack to place a small can of tuna right where Chase usually lay. He waits for the merman at his usual spot, expression innocent as Chase appears moments later. Jack says nothing as Chase observes the can, poking at it with his clawed hands and looking it over. His nose wrinkles when one of his claws accidentally punctures the metal, snorting at the smell of the processed tuna. His head whips around towards Jack when he snorts, eyes narrowing dangerously.

 

Jack shrieks with laughter as Chase launches the small can back at him, ducking out of the way so the can sails over his head and lands with a thud in the sand, “Aw c’mon Chase! You don’t like my present?” he laughs, safe on the sand as the merman fumes several feet away.

 

“If you are going to give me something, make it worth my time, Worm!” Chase growls, finned ears flaring with irritation. Jack will never tell Chase how cute that is, he’d like to keep his organs intact, thank you.

 

His next gift is much more well received.

 

* * *

 

“What are you doing?” Chase asks, watching him from his perch several feet away on the high stones above water level.

 

Jack doesn’t answer immediately, focusing instead on finishing the last few stitches on the thick, waterproof cloth in his hands. The stitches themselves are uneven and sort of messy, but they’ll hold well once Jack turns the pouch right side out, so that’s enough for him. He ties off the strong thread he used to sew the fabric together, cutting it with a pair of scissors and holding the medium sized pouch out at arm length to look it over. The work is as good as it’s going to get, so Jack pulls the fabric right side out and tests the waterproof string at its top to be sure the pouch remains closed like it should.

 

Once he’s finished checking the bag in his hands over he smiles over at Chase, “It’s for you!” Jack says, setting the pouch to the side as he rifles through the small backpack he brought with him for the pack of sharp stones he spent all last night sharpening.

 

“For me?” Chase asks cautiously, watching Jack as he pulls a cloth bundle out of his backpack.

 

“Yeah!” Jack grins, untying the bundle to reveal several stones that have been sharpened into points like knives, “I was thinking about how whoever got you with that net the first time might try again, and you may not get lucky enough to land on my beach again, so I made you these!” he explains, tucking the sharpened stones into the pouch carefully, “I tested them on some rope I found in the manor, and they should cut through rope much thicker than the stuff you got wrapped up in, it’s not a sure thing, especially if your arms get trapped, but I’d feel better knowing you have some backup if you need it!” he finishes explaining, tightening the string at the opening of the pouch and holding it out to Chase with a grin.

 

Chase stares at him blankly for several long moments, taking the pouch in his clawed hands carefully. He stares down at it, brows furrowed, before looking back up at Jack, “I, thank you, Jack.” he says finally, holding the pouch close, the long string holding the pouch closed pools on the rock below him.

 

“You’re welcome, Chase.” Jack couldn’t stop his wide grin even if he wanted to.

 

* * *

 

Jack continues to make regular trips to town during this time, always letting Chase know the day before so as to not piss him off again. Nothing much more interesting than stumbling upon Kimiko, Omi, Raimundo, or Clay in random places throughout town really happens. He’s out unusually late today, walking his bike along the beaten-up road next to the docks, he pauses under a streetlamp to watch how the colors of the sunset light up the ocean past the dock. With only the last light of dusk and the hazy glow of old street lamps to light his way he can’t see much more than the dark outlines of the things around him, but he’s not too concerned yet. Jack watches until the sun has fully set, turning away from the docks and shuffling back into the brightest area of the streetlamp before he steps up to climb onto his bike.

 

“Well, aren’t you an interesting little thing?” a man’s voice calls from behind him, and Jack flinches instinctively at the sudden sound. He tightens his hands on the steering wheel, setting his foot back on the ground and turning his body towards the sound, he squints through the darkness around him to find the man who spoke, keeping his hands firmly on the handlebars of his bike.

 

He appears a moment later, stepping into the light of a streetlamp several feet behind Jack. The man seems to be in his forties, he wears a friendly smile, and though he is just as thickly muscled as any of the other fishermen Jack has seen around town, he’s smaller than most of the others. Though that doesn’t mean much when compared to Jack himself, who could almost be called petit when standing next to one of these men. Jack shifts nervously when the man approaches, he’s still much bigger than Jack himself, “Uh, hello.” Jack calls back hesitantly, suddenly very aware of how isolated this place is, how dark.

 

The man stops a bit away from Jack, in the light of the street lamp just behind Jack’s, his smile widens, though it does nothing to soothe Jack’s worries, “You’re Adelia’s boy, aren't cha? Been hearing about you all over town.” Jack shift’s slightly closer to his bike, only relaxing a little at the mention of his grandmother. He doubts this guy would try anything with him being so well known around town, but Jack won’t take any chances.

 

“Yeah, that’s me.” Jack answers, his discomfort is clear in his voice, but the man doesn’t react to it, just continues smiling at Jack.

 

“Good, good, never knew Adelia myself, but she’s helped out plenty of my buddies in the past, she was a good woman.” Jack’s stomach twists as the man continues to speak from nerves, the ache in his chest almost a tangible thing as the man continues to speak about his grandmother.

 

Jack gulps thickly, taking a step back from the man, “Yeah, um, it’s late, and I have to go home now, so if you’ll excuse meー” Jack says, backing up until he’s just barely in the light of the streetlamp.

 

The man interrupts before Jack can finish his excuse, stepping forward with every step Jack takes back, “Sure, sure, hey how about I give you a ride back? It’s dangerous to bike in the dark, you know.” the man's friendly smile never wavers, and Jack can feel his heart start to beat faster as panic begins to set in.

 

“N-no thanks, I’d rather just bike,” Jack answers, body tensing as the man continues towards him, he’s afraid to leave the small pool of light, afraid of what will happen if he can’t see.

 

The man raises his hands in a placating gesture, and Jack spots the dark ink of a compass tattoo of his right wrist, “It’s no trouble, really, I’d feel better making sure you got home safe myー”

 

“ー I do believe the man said no, mister.” a familiar voice drawls from behind Jack, he instantly relaxes when a large hand settles onto his shoulder, squeezing gently in reassurance.

 

Clay towers over Jack, but more importantly, he towers over the man in front of him as well. Clay is nearly radiating protectiveness, and though Jack can't see his face, he knows Clay is probably leveling the man in front of them with a menacing glare. The man seems very aware of the obstacle blocking him from Jack, he looks like he wants to argue with Clay, but backs down immediately when Clay takes a step slightly in front of Jack. The man takes several steps back in response to Clay’s approach, chuckling nervously, “Well, it looks like you’re in good hands, boy, I’ll just leave you be then.” he says, turning on his heel and nearly running away.

 

Jack breathes out a sigh of relief once the man is gone, “Thanks, Clay.” he says, loosening his grip on the handlebars of his bike and forcing himself to drop the remaining tension in his shoulders.

 

Clay turns around to face him, tipping his hat and flashing Jack a smile, “Ain't no problem, pardner, can’t let one of my friends get hurt on my watch.” he sends a glare over his shoulder, “Just be more careful out here at night, the ocean’s not the only danger around these parts. Most people here are the good sort, but there’s always a few bad apples in every bunch.” Clay warns, turning to look back at Jack with a serious expression.

 

Jack huffs a shaky laugh, giving Clay a half-hearted smile in reply, “I’ll keep that in mind.” he promises, he’ll keep the sunset watching strictly to his beach from now on.

 

Clay smiles, “Good, now come on, we can probably fit yer bike into the back of the car, and it’s getting late.” he gestures for Jack to follow him, which Jack does without question. He suppresses the urge to ask Clay what he was doing out here so late, probably best not to annoy the person who just saved you from something terrible.

 

Jack rides with Clay back up to the manor in silence, thanking him again quietly once his bike and its contents have been placed by the front door. Clay ruffles his hair in response and doesn’t laugh when Jack squeaks at the touch, gaining a couple more points in his favor for allowing Jack to keep whatever dignity he has left. Clay waits for Jack to get inside before leaving, and Jack waves to him through the window by the door as he drives off into the night. He doesn’t let himself think about what might have happened if Clay hadn’t been there, forcing himself to put away the things he bought in town and get ready for bed, and if he shakes and cries into his pillow that night there’s no one around to judge him.

 

* * *

 

Jack goes down to the beach early the next morning. Still a little shaken about the almost disaster from last night. Nothing bad really happened, Clay was there to prevent that, but he’s looking forward to the peace that spending time with Chase on the beach gives him to shake off the last of the jumpiness. Chase is waiting for him like always, draped across his favorite rock with the usual displeased expression on his face, he’s always like this when Jack gets back from town, it’s cute. They spend the morning in silence, Jack watching the water and Chase dozing in the warmth of the sun. The silence is as comfortable as always, and the last bit of stress from last night fades away to make room for the warm, safe glow Jack has come to associate with being near Chase.

 

Eventually, the tide begins to rise, and Jack stands from his spot to make his way up to the safety of the cliffs while Chase dives into the water to retrieve his offering for the day. He slips and stumbles his way to his spot; glad Chase isn’t there to scoff at his awkward attempts not to launch himself directly into the sea. Jack slouches against the cliff wall once he makes it to the spot, sliding down to sit with his legs stretched out in front of him to wait for Chase to return. It takes longer than usual this time, long enough for Jack to get tired of staring out into the ocean and pull one leg up to rest his chin on, his arm holding it to his chest loosely, slipping into a light dose of his own as he waits for the merman to resurface.

 

Jack jerks awake when a small splash signifies Chase’s return, he stretches all his limbs before opening his eyes, sighing when his spine pops twice and opening his eyes when Chase lets out an impatient chirp to his right. Jack squints against the bright sunlight, scooting back into the shade further and blinking the spots out of his eyes. He glances over at Chase, who looks as expectant as always for him to judge the offering of the day, though Jack could swear there’s a little bit of something more flashing in his eyes. Jack decides not to question him, better not to annoy him too early in the day, shifting his gaze to whatever Chase has placed in front of him instead.

 

A severed human arm sits at his feet.

 

Jack freezes as he takes it in, breath halting mid inhale as he stares down at the limb in front of him. It’s a clean cut, a forearm cut off from just below the elbow, Jack can’t see the bone from how the limb is tilted towards him, but the neat teeth marks where the cut begins tell him enough. It’s a man’s arm, tanned and rough from years of hard work, a fisherman's arm. Jack’s body reacts before his brain can finish processing, kicking the arm away with a shriek as he scrambles backward in an unsuccessful attempt to get away from the limb in front of him. The arm rolls twice, finally settling wrist up, Jack can see the deep black of a compass tattoo from where he’s pressed up against the wall, oh.

 

Chase flinches back at his quick movement, finned ears splayed wide and silted eyes narrowed as he takes in Jack’s reaction, “Jackー” he begins, stopping when Jack flinches at the sound of his voice. They sit in silence for a long moment, Jack unable to look away from the arm at rests at the edge of their small section of cliff. His heart pounds loud in his chest, loud enough that he knows Chase can hear it, he feels his body start to shake as he focuses in on that thought, unable to stop the panic as it overtakes him.

 

Logically, he knew that Chase is a predator. It’s as obvious as if someone had pointed out the color of his hair, every part of Chase’s body is primed to hunt and destroy prey, from his strong tail to his sharp teeth. He just never thought that his prey would be humans. His mind plays the scenario in his head without his permission; the man falls into the water, blind in the darkness of the night, already panicked but not for the reasons he should be. In the dark water, Chase strikes, too fast for the man to do anything but gasp a lung full of ocean water, he would have been dead before his flailing arms dipped fully into the water. The thought is terrifying, and Jack feels his breath rattle in his chest as his thought spiral around the possibilities. Eventually, his mind focuses on the one question he can’t find the answer to: Why? Why, why, why, whyー

 

“Why?” he hears himself croak, he feels distant from his own body, gaze still locked on the arm in front of him.

 

Chase shifts beside him, tail flicking out to knock the arm into the water below and out of Jack’s sight. He shifts towards Jack slowly, watching him cautiously as he continues to stare at the empty rock where the arm once was. Chase lets out a quiet trill, and Jack flinches away when he realizes how close Chase is now, his body feels heavy, numb. It would be ridiculously easy for Chase to do the same thing he did to that man from the docks to him, he couldn’t run away if he wanted to right now.

 

“I, he,” Chase hesitates, inching closer again, “He would have killed you.” he says finally, so close Jack can feel the warmth of his skin, “I have watched him do so to many before, I would not have him touch you.” his voice rumbles through Jack, but Jack is too tired to flinch away, he just closes his eyes and asks again.

 

“Why?” Why kill this man for him? Why wait until Jack was targeted to do something about him? Why offer his arm to Jack? Jack cannot voice any of these questions, but he thinks Chase knows what he is asking.

 

Chase only trills again in response, pressing close to Jack’s skin. His lips brush over Jack’s neck lightly before he presses his teeth into the skin there, not biting or sharp, just a gentle press of smooth teeth. Jack doesn’t move, couldn’t even if he had the energy, his heart pounds in his chest, rapid-fire and scared. Chase croons into his neck, shifting his place to press the shape of his teeth into another patch of his neck, his hands rest on Jack’s rib cage, claws running feather light over his sides, only hard enough for him to feel their presence, not to scratch or hurt. Chase continues to croon into his neck, shifting his tail so he is as wrapped around Jack as he can possibly be with him pressed against the cliff wall. They sit like this for an unknown amount of time, and slowly, Jack begins to understand.

 

“Feel my teeth, sharp enough to rip your throat out in a second, but I keep them shut as not to hurt you,” Chase whispers into his skin, pulled just far enough away that the edges of his teeth don’t catch Jack’s skin, “my claws could render you to shreds before you could so much as blink, but I hold them carefully so as not to leave the slightest scratch.” He continues. Chase moves one hand to trail down Jack’s forearm, lifting it up by the wrist easily and pulling back the sleeve of his shirt. He presses his closed teeth against the bite mark there, locking eyes with Jack as he croons again, “Despite my mistakes, my weapons will not hurt you again, you are safe.” Chase promises, and for some strange, stupid reason, Jack believes him.

 

Whatever reasons Chase had, whatever he has done in the past, Jack is safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of a severed arms and the allusions to a murder, an attempted attack on Jack, but only the threat of one, no attack actually happens, a small panic attack.
> 
> I went back and fixed some of the glaring errors in the previous chapters, that's what I get for rushing the chapters out so fast I guess. You all got a glimpse at the disaster my Beta has to go through every time she helps me.
> 
> You can find my beta [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_hunter93/pseuds/Shadow_hunter93) and [here](https://comfortably-chaotic-mind.tumblr.com/)
> 
> My tumblr is [here](http://peachpandabear.tumblr.com/) if you'd like to chat!
> 
> Thank you for reading!! Next chapter should be out soon!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New Chapter! This one had to be split into two because it was getting ridiculously long. Next chapter is 95% done already, I just need to finish one more scene and edit, so it should be out pretty soon!

Things are weird between him and Chase for a few days after The Incident.

 

Jack stays wrapped up in Chase’s hold for several hours after finally calming down, soaking in the feeling of safety like a sponge. When they finally separate, it’s so Jack can make his way up the cliffside before the sun can fully set. Luckily, it’s dark enough for Jack to avoid looking Chase directly in the eye as he crawls out of his hold and scrambles along the damp rock of the cliffside to the safety of the path. A splash follows Jack’s retreat, and when he turns back to the water, all he can see of Chase is the top of his face peeking out of the water, his golden eyes glinting in the light of the sunset as he watches Jack make his way to safe ground. Jack waves awkwardly at the merman, glad he’s too far away to see the blush staining his pale cheeks, and with another splash, Chase is gone. Jack stands on the cliffs, staring out at the spot Chase once was for a long while after that, cheeks warm and heart thumping.

 

The truly awkward part comes the next day when Jack makes his way down to the beach and spots Chase in the light of day. Chase is waiting for him as usual, glistening and gorgeous as usual while draped across his rock, watching Jack’s approach through lazily half-open eyes. It's Jack that makes it weird. His heart does a little flip at the sight of Chase, and it distracts him enough to stumble over a small stone lodged in the sand of the beach, sending him rolling in the sand with a shriek, ungracefully flailing the whole way. Jack finds himself staring at Chase upside down once he finally stops rolling, flat on his back with his heartbeat already going wild in his chest when Chase lifts his head from where it’s resting on his arms and laughs, loud and genuine.

 

The thing is, Jack has been aware of how pretty Chase is for a while, he’s not blind. But it’s always been a distant sort of admiration, something he can stamp down and ignore by reminding himself that thirsting over an apex predator who would sooner tear his throat out than kiss him is a stupid idea and he needs to forget it. Now? Now Chase  _ killed someone  _ to protect him. Now he knows how it feels to be held in those strong arms and know he’s safer than he’s ever been. Now he has memories of lips brushing over his neck, of soothing croons in his ear, and really, he only has so much self-restraint. So yes, Jack has literally no excuse anymore not to at least admit to himself that he has a massive crush on his merman friend, for all the good admitting it will do him.

 

So, as with all things he does, Jack makes things awkward.

 

He stutters and trips over his words when Chase speaks to him, cheeks flushing a constant bright red. He stares at Chase out of the corner of his eye the entire time they sit on the beach, and he knows Chase can hear his heartbeat pick up every time he so much as glances his way, which is bound to be confusing for the poor merman. Chase doesn’t call him out on his weird behavior, only stares at him with his brows furrowed each time he does something weird before turning his attention elsewhere. Jack really appreciates it, there’s no need to draw further attention to how much of a bisexual disaster he is, really he’s lucky he was able to hold it together this long.

 

Jack continues to be weird in the days that follow. Twitching and squeaking with every bit of attention Chase gives him, cheeks bright and heart racing the whole time. Chase clearly thinks it has to do with Jack still being afraid of him if the way he makes a point to get up close and personal with Jack’s neck every day before he goes back to the ocean is any indicator. It doesn’t help, and Jack continues to squeak and tense up each time, flushing even brighter red and going silent until Chase pulls away with a small huff and a roll of his eyes. The feeling of soft lips and sharp teeth pressed against his neck lingers, and Jack does his best not to feel guilty about how much he enjoys it.

 

They probably would have continued that way for a while if Jack hadn’t been distracted by the visitors appearing at his house a few days after The Incident. He answers the door in pajama pants, unconcerned about whoever was at the door seeing him like this. He squints tiredly out at the four people crowded around his door, turning on his heel after a beat and leaving the door open for them to come in while he fumbles back to his room and searches for a shirt.

 

“Jack Spicer! I am most pleased to see you well!” Omi exclaims when he returns, far too excited for how early in the morning it is.

 

“Omi, inside voice.” Jack answers tiredly, yawning and stumbling his way into the kitchen to turn on the coffee maker, he has a feeling he’ll need it.

 

“Sorry for barging in like this, Jack,” Kimiko says, following him into the kitchen. She waits for him to finish with the coffee pot before continuing, “We just needed to check up on you.”

 

“Why?” Jack asks, only half paying attention as he watches the coffee brew.

 

It’s Raimundo that answers, though Jack has no clue when he followed them into the kitchen, “That guy from the docksー ya know, the one that Clay saved you fromー has gone missing, we were worried he’d kidnapped you or something.” He says it like a joke, but Jack has a feeling he’s very serious.

 

Jack stares down at the finished pot of coffee, mind racing for a way to respond to that that isn’t ‘oh yeah, I knew that already. My personal merman killed him for me’. In the end, he settles for a simple, “Fuck.” as he pours himself a mug of coffee, putting the pot back in the maker and rubbing his eyes harshly.

 

Clay claps a large hand on his shoulder, and Jack twitches in surprise at his sudden appearance, he must be more tired than he thought, “Don’t worry about it too much, pardner, guy probably just skipped town for a few days to avoid any backlash for if’n we told somebody about what happened.” he tries to reassure Jack, which of course doesn’t work since Jack knows exactly what happened to the man. Jack pours an ungodly amount of sugar into his coffee to avoid saying anything.

 

Kimiko wrinkles her nose at him as he takes a sip of his super sweet coffee, but it’s Raimundo that speaks up, “Yeah, you know how most people take off for several days without telling anyone where they’re going.” he half jokes again.

 

Kimiko shoots him a glare, “Not helping, Rai.”

 

“Sorry, sorry, just trying to lighten the mood.” he laughs, holding his hands out in front of him and smiling innocently.

 

Jack watches them chat amongst themselves as he sips his coffee, “So what else did you guys want?” he asks after he empties the mug, filling it back up again with fresh coffee.

 

Omi looks confused, “What do you mean? We have come to check up on you.”

 

Jack doesn’t respond immediately, instead making direct eye contact with Kimiko as he pours just as much sugar into this cup of coffee as the last one. She wrinkles her nose again, but he can see she’s fighting a grin, “You could have just called me if you wanted to check up on me, and it’s a bit of a drive up here just for that.” Jack turns to lean against the counter, sipping from his mug more slowly now, “So, what’s up?”

 

They all look sort of surprised that Jack guessed they had another motive so quickly, but it’s Kimiko that answers, “There’s this festival thing tonight a couple towns over, and we wanted to see if you’d want to come with us.” she explains, pulling out her phone and tapping on it a couple times before showing him the pictures on the screen. It’s another coastal town, this one more tourist trap than a fishing village, with a well-maintained boardwalk in front of pristine white sand and the bright blue of the ocean.

 

Jack thinks about it for a few minutes, sipping his coffee to give himself more time to consider it. On one hand: crowds of people which Jack hates more than anything. On another: a bit of distraction from Chase so he could get over himself enough to behave normally around the merman again. The answer was obvious, “What time?” he asks, glancing up from Kimiko’s phone to look at the others.

 

Kimiko grins, obviously excited for him to tag along, “It’s a bit of a drive to get to the town, so we’ll come to pick you up around four this afternoon.” she explains, Jack nods absently, that should give him plenty of time to hang out with Chase before he has to get ready.

 

“Cool, now all of you get out of my house,” he demands, they all laugh but shuffle out obediently enough. Jack has a merman to see after all.

 

* * *

 

 

“A festival?” Chase asks later that day, finned ears twitching as he listens to Jack over the crash of the waves.

 

“Yeah, it’s apparently in a town further down the cost, big fancy boardwalk and things like that,” Jack explains, sprawled out on his back in the warm sand and very carefully not looking at Chase as he talks.

 

“Hm.” Chase hums in reply, and that’s the end of that conversation.

 

* * *

 

 

Jack ends up getting ready just in time. Raimundo honking the horn of his car obnoxiously outside his house at the exact moment Jack shrugs on his jacket. He rolls his eyes and runs a hand through his hair before exiting his home, locking the doors and double checking that all the windows are closed by eyeing them as he walks to the car. He slips into the backseat next to Kimiko, who already looks tired of the other three’s shenanigans. Jack feels himself grinning as Raimundo pulls away from the manor, this is either going to be great or end in tragedy and Jack’s not quite sure which one he’s more excited for.

 

They make it to the town without any issues, well almost. They were fine if you ignored the small scuffle Raimundo and Clay got into about whether country music was appropriate road trip music or not, and the terrifying couple of minutes where Jack thought Kimiko was going to murder both of them with her bare hands. Jack stayed as quiet as possible during these bouts of activity, meeting Omi’s eyes when Kimiko leans forward to yell at the two in the front seat and trying to convey his concern and mild terror with his wide-eyed expression alone. Omi just grins at him and makes a vague hand motion towards the others, which Jack chooses to take has him saying everything will be fine, despite the angry vibes rolling off Kimiko in waves. The point is they reach the town in one piece, just as the sun begins to set along the horizon.

 

Jack slips out of the car before it’s fully parked, making way for Kimiko to climb out after him as quickly as possible. She flashes him a grateful smile as she passes, so he figures if nothing else he’s not in trouble like Raimundo and Clay very clearly are. Omi leads the way through the streets towards the boardwalk the festival is being held at. Jack can’t help but stare at the brightly decorated streets they pass, advertisements for the festival line the streets, paper fliers rustling in the wind alongside strings of fairy lights and hot pink paper lanterns in various shapes. After a while they can only follow the flow of the people around them to the boardwalk, Jack does his best to keep close to Kimiko so he doesn’t get swept away in the crowds around them, holding on to the thin strap of her purse to be sure he stays close. One thing’s for sure, this town is nothing like their sleepy fishing village.

 

The boardwalk itself is even flashier than the streets leading up to it, with strings of fairy lights in a rainbow of colors hanging overhead to light the bright colors of the varied decorations scattered on every available surface and draped above much of the ever-moving crowds of people that move between attractions. Live music plays loudly from somewhere down the way, somehow still easily heard over the excessive noise of the people around them. Food stalls and booths with games line one side of the wide wooden pathway, crammed up against the pre-existing businesses to leave as much room as possible for visitors to pass by. The other side of the boardwalk is dedicated to less clunky games and entertainment, leaving enough gaps between the attractions to still see the white sand beach and dark ocean beyond the light of the festivities.

 

Jack feels overwhelmed just by standing outside the buzz of activity, already thinking about how difficult it would be to just turn on his heel and hide in the car until the others are done. If he could sneak away without notice, he just might be able to do it. Kimiko apparently has the ability to read minds, because she grabs his wrist before he can so much as shift away, raising a challenging eyebrow to see if he’ll try to pull away and tugging him along behind her when he doesn’t. Jack sends the other three a half-hearted middle finger when they laugh at his expense, already resigned to being forced along with Kimiko for the night.

 

She’s at least kind enough not to force him into the middle of the madness right at the start, leading him along the food stalls and being kind enough to buy him alcohol before subjecting him to the torture of human interaction. Jack sips the bright pink concoction cautiously when she hands it to him, but he finds it surprisingly good. The exact kind of sweetness he likes despite the garish color. The other three join them moments later, and they start their excursion into the heart of the crowd as a group after he and Kimiko finish their drinks, though not without a bit of ribbing from Raimundo over the bright colors of them first. Jack sort of wishes they’d let him get another before dragging him along, but keeps his mouth shut and goes along with them anyway.

 

It’s not actually as bad as he thought it would be, though Jack would never say that out loud. They eat too much food while trying to eat from every stall on the boardwalk, and Jack nearly chokes to death from laughing at the miserable look on Omi’s face. They play darts and rigged carnival games between food stalls, Raimundo and Omi getting weirdly competitive at literally all of them, Jack joins Kimiko and Clay in rolling their eyes at their antics, but his sides hurt from laughing before they finally give up on eating any more overpriced food. Raimundo buys everyone shitty beer when they take a small break in a space between booths, getting dramatically offended when everyone complains about his poor taste in booze. Jack catches him wincing at the taste himself and starts up another round of the playful ridicule in retaliation for Raimundo cracking a joke about his ‘girly’ drink from earlier.

 

Eventually, they make it to the end of the boardwalk, where several large tanks full of various fish have been set up to hold fishing competitions. Omi, Clay, and Raimundo all race over to the largest tank to start another round of over competitive shenanigans, while he and Kimiko hang back and look at some of the smaller tanks. The smaller tanks seem to be full of more tropical fish than fish caught for eating, and Jack sort of wonders about how legal any of this is before realizing he doesn’t really care and following Kimiko to try the game. The game itself is a blatant rip off of the Japanese goldfish catching game Jack has seen in anime before, and he shares a look with Kimiko before they both shrug and agree to play.

 

Predictably, the game doesn’t work too well. Considering that most of the fish in the tank are far bigger than your average goldfish, the little paper covered hoops don’t work too well, breaking under the weight of the bright fish within seconds of scooping them up. Kimiko seems to be getting increasingly intense about it though, so Jack doesn’t bother suggesting they move on, instead paying the man for another paper hoop and eyeing the fish in the tank critically. If he can find a fish big enough to balance on the edge of the hoop even when the paper breaks, he should be able to get one. He eyes the tank for a properly sized fish, spotting a bright one the color of sunset swimming around the bottom and going for it. He guides the fish into a corner before trying to scoop it up, and while the paper rips almost immediately after being lifted out of the water, the fish stays on his hoop long enough for Jack to flip it into his bucket.

 

Kimiko cheers as Jack stares the man in front of him down, daring him to say something about Jack winning his obviously rigged game. The man says nothing, only grabbing a small, bright green pail and filling it with water before sliding the fish inside and covering the top with a matching lid. He hands the pail to Jack, and he suddenly realizes he won a fish he has no clue how to take care of. He sighs hugely, tapping Kimiko on the shoulder and telling her over the noise that he’s going to rest somewhere quiet for a bit, she nods in response, distracted by trying to win the game herself and Jack slips away further down the boardwalk without being stopped or distracted.

 

Jack makes his way past the festivities, stepping carefully down the wooden stairs leading to the beach proper, stumbling through the sand on clumsy feet. He might be slightly past buzzed, but he ignores that in favor of staring out at the ocean from this unfamiliar beach. He sits in the sand, settling his small green pail next to his legs and ignoring the few people that have decided to do the same thing as him further down the way. He wonders what Chase is doing now. Patrolling his territory maybe, or searching for Jack’s next offering? Maybe he’s waiting on their beach and pouting because Jack decided to go out instead of spending all day with him. The thought makes him smile, as if Chase would be jealous of anyone stealing his time away.

 

There’s a small splash from the ocean, and Jack’s head snaps towards the sound on instinct. He thinks he sees a flash of gold before it disappears into the water but quickly brushes that thought off as his buzzed mind playing tricks on him. He doesn’t need to accidentally drown from following figments of Chase into the water. Another splash sounds a few moments later, and Jack sees the flash of gold again when he looks up, this time next to a large rock right at the edge of the shallows. Jack sighs, standing up and grabbing his pail before he moves towards the rock, might as well check it out.

 

He splashes through the shallows without a care for his pants or shoes, setting his pail carefully on the flattest part of the rock before climbing up on it clumsily. He stares out at the dark water for a long time, sighing when nothing happens. Feeling a little stupid, and a lot like a pining loser, “Chase?” he half whispers to the ocean, keeping an eye on the other beachgoers in the distance so he doesn’t get called a crazy person for speaking to no one. When he looks back, Chase is peeking out at him from the deeper water, and Jack startles so badly he nearly sends his pail flying into the water below, “Chase!” he hisses this time, cheeks flaring with heat when the merman smirks up at him.

 

“Jack,” Chase says back, slowly gliding closer to his rock, he keeps himself mostly submerged, but Jack can see him just fine when he’s tucked up against the side of the rock, hopefully no one else can.

 

“You can’t just sneak up on people like that!” he whispers, trying to be as quiet as he can so no one looks over to them.

 

“Hm,” Chase hums instead of answering, his golden eyes are intense in the dark as he looks up at Jack, “How is your festival?” he asks instead, throwing Jack off guard enough that he answers without thinking.

 

“It would be more fun if you were with me,” he says, too honest, and his cheeks flush deeper red in embarrassment, he’s never drinking again.

 

Chase looks pleased by his answer, “Oh?” he’s smirking up at Jack again, eyes glinting as he shifts out of the water slightly.

 

Jack sighs, he’s already dug his own grave here, might as well lie in it, “Yeah, it’s too loud. Too many people, I think I’d rather be at home on our beach, to be honest.”

 

“I see.” Chase says, and Jack thinks he might be smiling, though he’s not able to really check for certain before Chase is speaking again, eyes on the little green pail next to Jack, “What is this?” he asks, eyeing the pail with slight curiosity but not lifting any further out of the water.

 

“Oh!” Jack grins, picking up the pail gently and lifting one half of the lid open, “Look what I caught!” he lowers the pail enough for Chase to see the little, sunset-colored fish inside. “He’s not very big, but he’s pretty! And I outsmarted a con-artist to get him!” Jack grins, bragging a little. Chase probably catches fish ten times this size every day, so a little one like this probably doesn’t matter much, but it’s the best Jack could do and he’s going to be proud of his little catch anyway.

 

“Very nice, Jack,” Chase says, though his voice sounds a little off, strained somehow.

 

“Really?” Jack asks, grinning from the small praise, “I know you can probably catch much more impressive ones, so it’s okay if you think he’s a little piddly.” he tells Chase, still obviously pleased by Chase’s praise regardless.

 

Chase gives him a strange look, staring at his face intensely for a long moment, “It is a fine fish, Jack.” he says finally, his eyes still staring at the side of Jack’s face even when Jack looks back down at his fish.

 

Jack’s smile softens a little, his fuzzy mind just about ecstatic at the little bit of praise. He stares down at the fish as it swims in tight circles in the pail, he really doesn’t have anywhere to keep it. He glances at Chase out of the corner of his eye, finding him still staring at the side of Jack’s face, “Um,” he hesitates, glancing back down at the fish again, he offers the pail out to Chase without looking at him, unsure if he could meet his eyes without combusting or something equally stupid, “Here, you take him.”

 

Chase’s hands brush over his and he takes the small pail from Jack’s hands, when Jack looks up he’s staring down at the little fish inside, “Jackー” he begins, looking up at Jack with strangely rounded out pupils, but he’s cut off from saying anything more when another voice calls out to Jack.

 

“Jack! Where’d you go?” Kimiko calls, her voice loud in the quiet of the dark beach. Jack winces, frantically gesturing for Chase to go as he scrambles up out of his hunched position to call back to Kimiko.

 

“Over here!” he yells back. When he turns back to look at Chase, he’s gone, and so is Jack’s tiny green pail. He scrambles off the rock now that Chase is gone, splashing through the shallows again to meet up with Kimiko on the beach.

 

“What happened to your fish?” she asks, choosing not to comment on his wet legs and shoes.

 

“I, uh, gave it to someone,” he answers, it’s the truth, just not all of it.

 

Kimiko shrugs, “Alright, c’mon, I’m done for the night. Let’s go get plastered while we wait for the guys to finish up.” she says, turning and leading the way back to the boardwalk.

 

Jack glances over his shoulder at the ocean before following, he doesn’t see any flashes of gold, so he follows Kimiko off the beach, “Works for me.”

 

* * *

 

Time passes in a strange way, it hits him when he finally stumbles back into the manor after a very dangerous ride back from the festival that he has been here for months. Mid-spring shifting into late summer before he can so much as blink. The realization makes something warm bloom in his chest, and he can’t fight the silly little grin that forms on his face in his drunken state, though it’s not like there’s anyone around to see it. This place has come to feel like home, the good kind of home like when he lived here with his grandmother during summers. The cold, lonely home his parents kept feels like a distant memory now, like a nightmare he half remembers after waking up to the bright morning sun.

 

He hasn’t felt alone in a very long time, the people down at the village are friendly, he has actual friends now, and he has Chase. His mind latches onto the thought of Chase, of the wide-eyed stare he’d given Jack when he handed over the fish, how cute he had been in that moment. Jack giggles a little as he fumbles his way to his room, cute, cute, cute. He continues to giggle until he flops face first into his bed, he grins into the blankets, feeling warm all over and sort of giddy even as his eyes droop with tiredness. This place is really his home now, thanks to his new friends and the cute merman that will be waiting for him down by the beach in the morning. Jack falls asleep grinning, it’s nice, to have a home again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Next chapter should be out in a couple days!!!
> 
> The fish Jack caught was a male Lyretail Anthias or Sea Goldie, reference picture [here](http://www.fishaway.in/1825/lyretail-anthias-male.jpg)
> 
> You can find my beta [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_hunter93/pseuds/Shadow_hunter93) and [here](https://comfortably-chaotic-mind.tumblr.com/)
> 
> And feel free to come chat with me [here](http://peachpandabear.tumblr.com/) if you want!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!!! Should only be one more unless things get too long again ;)
> 
> You can find my beta [here](https://comfortably-chaotic-mind.tumblr.com/) and [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_hunter93/pseuds/Shadow_hunter93)
> 
> And my tumblr is [here](http://peachpandabear.tumblr.com/) if you want to chat!!

“I have something to show you,” Chase tells him several days later, they’re sitting side by side on the edge of the higher cliff, watching the waves below crash against stone.

 

Things have settled back to their usual pattern after that night at the festival, Jack was right about a little distraction helping him get his shit together. He still flushes and stumbles when Chase looks at him sometimes, but Chase seems to have come to a new conclusion about his behavior, looking less concerned and confused each time and more reluctantly fond. The unexpected softness does something to Jack, makes his stomach flutter and foolish hope bubble up in his chest for a few seconds before Jack stamps it down roughly, making everything both better and worse all at once.

 

“What is it?” Jack asks, trying not to react to Chase’s proximity too obviously.

 

That’s another thing that’s changed, the closeness. Without Jack even realizing it, Chase had decided he needed to be kept close at all times. Their usual spots on the beach were apparently fine, but once they got up to the cliffs Chase had to be as near as he could be without pressing up against Jack’s side, it was endlessly nerve-wracking. Jack knew his giant crush on the merman would be the most obvious thing in the world to any human who saw him at that point, but Chase doesn’t seem to notice or care now that he’s realized the behavior isn’t because Jack fears him.

 

That doesn’t stop the teeth thing though, Chase has moved on from simply pressing his teeth to Jack’s skin to not quite biting him. Simply resting the sharp points of his teeth where Jack’s shoulder and neck meet and holding for several long moments. It scared him when Chase did it the first time, the day after the festival, but Chase was very careful not to break the skin, even when Jack flinched away. He simply pressed forward and did the same thing again until Jack stopped panicking and relaxed into it like he had with the previous weird teeth thing Chase did. Jack knows it’s probably just another display to show how Chase won’t hurt him despite easily being able to but having Chase so close might actually kill him one of these days. He does not need any more memories of lips on his skin, not if he has any hope of keeping his cool around the merman.

 

But Jack can worry about that later, he has a merman to pay attention to right now, and Chase seems rather reluctant to tell him any more details, “It is... farther out in the ocean.” is all Chase tells him, and Jack resists the urge to roll his eyes.

 

“That’s pretty vague, Chase.” Jack prods, wanting more details out of the merman.

 

Chase sighs, a quiet, frustrated sound, before turning to lock eyes with Jack, “Do you trust me?” He asks, his eyes are intense, and Jack is nodding before he can really think about it, the answer is obvious.

 

“Of course.”

 

The smile Chase gives him is sharp and pleased, “Good. I must prepare. Be here at sunset.” He instructs, leaning into Jack's space and nipping ever so lightly on the skin of his neck. Jack squeaks, face going red, but Chase has pulled away and returned to the water before he can properly react to that.

 

Jack swears he’s doing this shit on purpose, just to freak him out, the asshole.

 

* * *

 

 

Jack has some idea of what Chase wants to do, where else would a merman who has something to show him take him other than the ocean? He thinks back to that one early morning over a month ago when he stood in the shallows of the ocean and longed to swim. Chase’s presence had stopped him from diving in then, but the thought had stayed with him enough for him to impulse buy a pair of swimming jammers. They were long enough to cover the whole of his legs to protect him as much as possible in the ocean waters without wearing a full wetsuit. The jammers had stayed in their box crammed into the corner of his room since then, Jack never really brave enough to pull them out and risk swimming in the waters with Chase nearby. Things are different between him and Chase now, Jack doesn’t worry about Chase hurting him anymore, and he wasn’t lying when he told Chase he trusted him. So just before the sun begins to set, Jack tears the tape off the box and pulls the jammers on. They’re much tighter than first expected, but not uncomfortable, so he throws on a loose black tank top on and grabs a cheap pair of flip flops before making his way down to their beach.

 

He makes it there before Chase, making his way over to their spot on the cliffs and leaving his stuff in a small pile next to the cliff wall so it doesn’t get wet in the off chance that the tide shifts while they’re gone. He’s debating whether he should take his tank top off yet or not when Chase arrives, Jack whistles to get the merman’s attention, waving down at him when Chase spots him on the cliffs and yelling down, “We’re going in the water, right?” he asks, Chase doesn’t bother yelling back, simply nodding and swimming closer to the shore to pull himself up onto his rock. Jack nods to himself and pulls off the tank top, folding it messily and leaving it on top of his pile of things before making his way down to Chase.

 

Chase stares at him when he gets to the beach, and Jack suppresses the urge to squirm and be embarrassed about how his eyes linger on Jack’s skin. Most people stare when they see Jack, he’s sure Chase is just as curious about the pale coloring of his skin as any of them are, “Hey, so how are we doing this?” he asks once he gets close enough to not have to yell.

 

Chase shifts to sit up further on the rock, holding something very carefully in one hand, “You will need this first,” he says while Jack climbs up the rock to sit next to him. Once Jack is settled, Chase shifts closer until he can loop whatever it is in his hand around Jack’s neck. A warm, smooth stone covered in intricate etchings settles on Jack’s chest as Chase pulls away, “I will activate it once we are in the water, do not lose it.” Chase says, and Jack nods seriously.

 

“So, um, how are weー” Jack doesn’t get to finish his question, because Chase wraps an arm around his waist and pulls him close in one swift motion. Jack gasps as he’s pulled tight against Chase’s chest, barely having the time to hold his breath before Chase moves again and suddenly they’re in the water.

 

The water is colder than he remembers, and he has to fight to keep from gasping in a lung full of air at the shock of it. Chase keeps him close, pulling him back towards the surface with a twitch of his powerful tail. Jack sputters a bit when they reach the surface, blinking the sting of salt water out of his eyes and clinging to Chase’s shoulders a bit, “A little warning would have been nice!” he complains, taking one hand off Chase’s shoulder to push his wet hair back and out of his eyes, he glares at Chase as soon as he can see him.

 

Chase looks mildly amused, “My apologies.” Jack rolls his eyes, he doesn’t sound even remotely sorry, “If I may?” Chase continues, tapping the stone around Jack’s neck with a claw.

 

Jack blinks, “Oh, uh, sure.” he pushes back from Chase a bit so he has room to do whatever he needs to, keeping one hand on his shoulder so he doesn’t float away.

 

Chase curls a finger around the woven cord attached to the stone, he keeps the rest of his claws curled away from Jack, carefully lifting the stone off Jack’s skin before shifting it to rest in his palm. He lifts the stone to his lips, pressing the largest of the symbols against them and begins whispering. Jack can hear the words clearly, but the exact sounds slip through his mind like sand through his fingers, gone before he can even begin to comprehend their meaning.

 

As Chase continues to whisper into the stone, Jack feels a tingling buzz begin to fill the air, filling Jack with energy and making the tips of his fingers tingle from the proximity. The feeling spreads, wrapping around Jack like a blanket, curling around his torso and sending tingles down his spine as it spreads from there. He can’t say the feeling is unpleasant, it’s almost like the manic bursts of energy he gets when he thinks up a new idea, only much more concentrated. The buzzing spreads quickly, trailing up to his teeth and down his throat before Jack can so much as blink. He’s momentarily overwhelmed by it, distantly he can feel his hand grip tighter on Chase’s shoulder, but it’s such a distant sensation that it gets brushed away quickly with a new wave of the buzzing tingle.

 

Suddenly, the buzzing stops and Jack is left winded by the sudden loss of sensation, gasping lungful’s of air as his body shivers uncontrollably. The stone falls back to his chest with a small thump, much warmer than before, but Jack doesn’t pay it much mind, too focused on regaining his breath to care about anything else. He comes back to himself slowly, blinking heavily as his breathing returns to normal. His awareness of his own limbs comes back to him in stages, and when he finally registers just how tightly he’s holding onto Chase, he winces, gentling his grip with a small sound of apology.

 

Chase hums in response, the sound echoing through the water around them pleasantly, he waits for Jack to compose himself fully before speaking, “Your first interaction with magic is often the most overwhelming, I am sorry I could not ease you through it as I would have liked.”

 

Jack huffs a laugh, “It’s fine, it wasn’t so bad, and I’m not sure there’s much you could have done to help anyway.” his voice is slightly strained, and he clears his throat before continuing, “What did that do?”

 

“With the talisman activated, you will be able to breathe water as if it were air,” Chase explains, Jack feels his tail shift in the water around them, keeping them from drifting away from their beach until they are ready.

 

“That’s really, really cool.” Jack grins, his tiredness is fading more and more by the second, excitement taking its place and making him anxious to move on, “When can we leave? I’m assuming this wasn’t what you wanted to show me.” his excitement is clear in his voice, but he refuses to tamp it down, magic is real, and he has a crush on a merman, he’s allowed a little fanboying over it.

 

Chase seems more amused than annoyed anyway, “Correct, we will leave as soon as you are ready.”

 

“I’m ready!” Jack nearly yells, flushing with embarrassment, “Err, sorry, I’m ready.”

 

Chase chuckles, and Jack represses a shiver as the sound rumbles through him, “First, a test.” he says, wrapping an arm around Jack’s waist and pulling him gently down into the water.

 

Jack’s first instinct is to hold his breath, but he quickly remembers the talisman when it floats off his chest slightly and into his line of sight. He makes eye contact with Chase, trying to convey his worry through his eyes. Chase seems to understand, humming comfortingly and gesturing up at the surface to show Jack how close it is. It would be a matter of seconds for Chase to get them back to the open air if they needed it. Jack nods several times to show he understands, fighting his instincts as they scream at him not to let go of his air. He breathes out, bubbles flowing out of his nose and up to the surface, he watches them for a long moment, until his lungs ache with the need for oxygen. He turns his attention back to Chase, keeping their eyes locked as he breathes in, the talisman shimmers slightly as he does, and the breath he takes feels no different than if he were standing on their beach right now.

 

Jack can feel himself grinning at Chase, cheeks aching and heart racing with giddy joy. Chase gives him a small smile in return, making several low trills and clicking noises that echo through the water as clear as a bell. Jack knows Chase is communicating with him somehow, but he has no way of understanding him, Chase doesn’t seem to expect him to, instead of waiting for a response, he shifts to show Jack his back and gestures for him to grab on to his shoulders. Jack kicks his legs to bring him closer to Chase, carefully wrapping his arms around the merman’s neck, he eyes the delicate looking gills on either side of Chase’s ribs and decides not to wrap his legs around his waist. Instead, he presses his body tight along the line of Chase’s back, letting his legs rest carefully over his tail as to not be in the way. Chase seems to realize when he’s settled, letting out another series of chirps and trills a warning before they’re suddenly taking off. Darting through the water like a bullet through air.

 

It feels like flying, and Jack can’t help the joyful laugh he lets out into Chase’s neck, the sound lost to the waters around them.

 

Chase swims for an unknown amount of time, the water rushing past blurs the area around them, and Jack tucks his face into the side of Chase’s neck when trying to see where they’re going proves fruitless. He moves fluidly through the water, the steady inhale and exhale through his gills never faltering despite how fast they’re going. If Jack’s weight is slowing Chase down at all, he certainly can’t tell. He feels like a rag doll clinging to Chase’s neck, weightless and ungainly as they rush to wherever Chase wants to take him, his legs trailing behind him uselessly as they twist and glide through the water. He tightens his hold as Chase makes a sharp turn, his relaxed body shifting with the movement and sending them rolling a bit out of their pathway. Chase lets out a short croon to soothe him as they straighten back out, reaching back and holding onto Jack’s thigh as he continues swimming. Jack whispers an apology against Chase’s neck, the words lost to the water as they trail out of his mouth in large silvery bubbles, Chase must feel the words against his skin because he squeezes Jack’s thigh gently in reply before removing his hold.

 

Jack presses his cheek to Chase's neck, trying to ignore his racing heart from the touch. Chase didn’t mean anything by it, and Jack’s legs are probably really weird to him anyway, so he shouldn’t be getting his hopes up. He continues to talk himself down from getting weird over the massive crush he has on Chase, focusing so hard on that that he doesn’t realize Chase is slowing down until they’re no more than gliding through the water. Chase chirps to get his attention, and Jack jerks his face out of his neck to look around at where Chase has brought them.

 

It’s slightly darker here than the area they first submerged in, and when Jack glances up he can’t tell how far away the surface is. They must be deeper than they were before. There’s still just enough light to see by, though the open ocean doesn’t give them much to see besides the vague outlines of rock formations in the distance. Jack makes a questioning sound, knowing if nothing else that Chase will be able to feel the vibrations of it from where they’re still pressed close. Chase doesn’t make any sound in reply, simply straightening up until Jack is in a standing position, and gently removing Jack’s arms from around his neck. Chase turns to face him then, tail flicking to put a little space between them so they aren’t pressed together chest to chest. Jack reaches out of him before he can think about it, afraid to float alone in the open ocean around them, and Chase smiles in reply, crooning softly to calm him.

 

Jack flinches a bit when he feels something come to wrap around his ankle, kicking at the water a little in his surprise, but calms when he looks down and realizes it’s the end of Chase’s tail wrapped loosely around one ankle. The delicate green curl of the fins brushing against the material of his jammers. Jack flashes Chase an embarrassed smile, mouthing an apology that Chase shrugs off. They wait in the open waters for a long while, simply staring at each other in silence. Chase seems to be waiting for something, glancing just past Jack’s shoulder every few seconds before returning his gaze to Jack. Jack smiles when his gaze returns to him again, waving his hands to try and show that he’s fine with Chase not paying attention to him constantly. Chase understands after several repeats of the gesture, expression softening as he nods before returning his gaze back to whatever he was waiting for.

 

Jack allows himself a moment to observe their surroundings further while Chase is distracted. With the talisman around his neck, he has all the time in the world to look around, not having to worry about an oxygen tank running out or the visual obstruction of a diving mask. There’s not much to see beyond endless blue, and he wonders what Chase could possibly want to show him here before he brushes that thought aside, he’ll find out soon enough. He feels like the quiet of the ocean should freak him out more, so different from the constant noise on land it should almost feel isolating, but it's strangely soothing. Jack feels small in the best way, insignificant in the massive scale of the ocean around him, it’s nice instead of terrifying, he can just be without having to worry that he’ll ruin something because anything he does is so minuscule compared to the endless stretch of ocean around him.

 

Jack allows himself to relax to that thought for a while, the only thing keeping him from drifting away is the loose hold of Chase’s tail, but Jack knows that Chase won’t let him slip away into the deep blue around them. He’s jolted out of his haze by a gentle squeeze from Chase’s tail, looking up from where he was staring listlessly to lock eyes with Chase. The merman looks almost excited, taking Jack’s hand and pulling him closer before looking down below them. Jack flushes red when he bumps into Chase’s chest but shakes off his embarrassment to follow the merman’s gaze into the darker ocean below.

 

For a long moment, Jack can see nothing but endless darkness below them. Before he can begin to be creeped out by that, a small glowing light pops into view in the dark, and then another, and another, and more after that. In moments, the darkness is filled with balls of light that grow larger the longer Jack stares down at them. No, not larger, closer. Soon, the glowing lights are close enough for Jack to see what they are, jellyfish, hundreds upon hundreds of gently glowing jellyfish.

 

Jack gasps with delight as they float up around him and Chase, ignoring the silvery bubble as it floats up the surface in his delight at the sight. They’re small little things, no longer than Jack’s forearm, with bodies that glow a gentle blue that lights the darker ocean around them with a hazy glow. Delicate strings of tendrils trail off the partially see-through bell, floating around their bodies gently, just like their lace-like tentacles that sway as if caught in the middle of a gentle breeze. They’re beautiful, but Jack has heard enough horror stories of the pain of a jellyfish sting from the fishermen in town to resist the urge to reach out and touch one of them. Instead, he keeps close to Chase, not wanting to be stung by one of the beautiful creatures around him, and he feels more than hears the soft whistling chirp Chase lets out.

 

Jack looks back at Chase curiously, grinning brightly to show his joy at the sight around them. Chase smiles, his tail squeezes his ankle gently before letting go and pushing away from Jack. He doesn’t go far, just away enough to urge the jellyfish away from their immediate area with the shift in current his presence brings. Chase keeps his eyes locked with Jack’s as he makes a slow circle around him, his fins flaring to their largest as he gently shoos the jellyfish away from them, Jack is unable to look away, following Chase’s movements in a daze. At first, he thinks the lights of the jellyfish is tricking his eyes, but between one blink and the next, Chase is glowing as well.

 

Glowing golden spots form on Chase’s skin, neat dots of color light the area just under his eyes, curling gently along the edges of his finned ears. More trail down along the sides of his neck in uniform rows and swirling clusters that line his shoulders and chest, continuing down his arms and across his torso. They continue down to his tail in simple lines of larger spots, ending in swirls of tiny dots along the delicate outlines of Chase’s fins. Their glow outshines the soft light from the jellyfish, making Chase a beacon of golden light in the dark waters around them. Jack is unable to look away, too enraptured by the sight in front of him to do more than gape and watch as Chase curls and twists around him, chasing off the jellyfish around them until they’re far enough away to the merman's liking.

 

Chase comes to a stop less than a foot away from him, tail still trailing behind him, curling around Jack’s back. His fins brush across Jack’s bare skin and a shiver zips down his spine at the soft touch. The smile that forms on Chase’s face is slow going, a gentle curl that spreads until he’s baring his razor-sharp teeth in the biggest smile Jack has ever seen from him. He’s terrifying, and beautiful all at once.

 

Jack wants to kiss him more than he’s ever wanted anything in his entire life.

 

He doesn’t, but the longing is there. Jack’s not sure it will ever really leave.

 

* * *

 

 

Chase presses the talisman into Jack’s hands when they get back to the beach. He's) still partially in the water while Jack sits perched on the edge of his rock, keeping his torso above the water with one powerful arm. “Keep it,” he orders, and Jack’s fingers curl around it in response, he honestly didn’t want to give it back in the first place, but the implication is too much for him not to worry about.

 

“Does this mean you’ve made a successful offering?” he asks, unable to keep the worry out of his voice, he doesn’t want Chase to leave, not now.

 

Chase croons in understanding, raising further to bump noses with Jack, his breath catches in his throat, the urge to kiss him wells up again, “I will continue to visit you as I please, we are far beyond the excuse of offerings now.” he whispers, and Jack gulps at his proximity. In a blink, he has backed away, and with a splash, he disappears back into the water once more.

 

Jack watches the place Chase once was for a long while, heart thumping in his chest, wondering what that could possibly mean. He doesn’t dare hope, simply standing from the rock and walking back up the cliffs to retrieve his things. To hope would be too dangerous, to hope is to open himself up to being hurt, and Jack would rather have the uncertainty than risk the hurt.

 

He keeps the talisman on him at all times, tucked safely under his shirt to lie warm on his chest.

 

* * *

 

 

Jack makes it just under 24 hours after his swim with Chase before he gives up on quietly panicking by himself and texts Kimiko.

 

_To: Kimiko_

_⋙ KIMIKO I NEED YOUR HELP_

 

_From: Kimiko_

_⋙ The Kimiko crisis hotline is open for business_

 

_To: Kimiko_

_⋙ I HAVE FEELINGS KIMI_

_GAY ONES_

 

_From: Kimiko_

_⋙ Well i should hope so_

_Wait_

_Oh shit really????_

_I’ll be at your house in like 20 min_

_Bringing booze_

 

Bless her, he super needs it right now.

 

Kimiko knocks on his door exactly twenty minutes later, comically large bottle of some amber colored alcohol in one hand and a big box of chocolate tucked under her other arm.

 

“Let’s get wasted and complain about boys,” she says the second he opens the door, the area behind her lights up as whoever drove her here turns the car around to go back down to the village, and Jack raises a hand blindly to wave at the retreating vehicle as he steps aside to let Kimiko in.

 

“Absolutely, lead the way,” he says as he closes the door behind her. He follows Kimiko out the back door of the manor, flopping down beside her when she sits at the edge of the cliff. He can see his beach easily from all the way up here, and silently hopes that Chase doesn’t decide to peek his head out of the water while they’re up here, though it’s late enough that he probably doesn’t have to worry about that.

 

“Hope you don’t mind if I crash here tonight, Clay dropped me off and I doubt he’ll be awake to come get me when we’re done by how I think this conversation is gonna go,” Kimiko says, setting the box of chocolate between them and fumbling with the seal on the bottle.

 

“Kimiko, you brought me booze and chocolate, I’ll _give_ you the house right now if you ask.” Jack’s only half joking, honestly not looking forward to being drunk and alone later tonight anyway.

 

“Rad, who’s first?” Kimiko gets the bottle open, taking a huge drink directly from the bottle before passing it to Jack.

 

Jack raises an eyebrow, eyeing the bottle dubiously for a second before shrugging and taking a big drink from the bottle himself, might as well. It burns on the way down and Jack coughs a bit, “You apparently. Fuck. How did you do that?” he asks, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes as he coughs again, he passes the bottle back to her.

 

Kimiko laughs, taking another gulp from the bottle as if to make a point. She laughs again when Jack sticks his tongue out at her, but her mirth fades quickly into a frustrated pout that she directs out to the ocean in front of them, “I’m going to kill Rai with my bare hands.”

 

Jack snorts, “Fair enough, but I’m guessing it’s more of a ‘you dense bitch’ kinda way than just murder, right?” he takes the bottle when Kimiko passes it over to him, taking a careful sip and ignoring the way Kimiko rolls her eyes at him.

 

“Yeah, it’s like, I dunno.”  she sighs, feet kicking against the side of the cliff, “We’ve been friends for years, it’s been just us four for so long, and there’s always been signs and stuff, you know? Little things that say he might like me, but I’m never sure if it’s just because I’m the only girl he’s around all the time, or if it’s real.” Jack offers her the bottle, and she takes it with a small smile, “It’s not like he’s ever said anything anyway, and even if he _did_ like me like that, what would that do to our group? The whole dynamic changes, Jack, _what if we break up_? What happens then?” she takes another large drink from the bottle to try and stave off the raising panic Jack can hear in her voice, coughing a little this time, and Jack takes the bottle from her hands and sets it aside for a second.

 

“Kimi, just breathe for a second, okay?” he tells her, putting a hand on her shoulder comfortingly as she nods and takes several deep breaths. When she calms, Jack speaks again, “Rai’s kind of an idiot, and a little bit of a cocky asshole, but he cares about you. Regardless of if it’s romantic or not, he’s not going to just throw away your friendship over something like this.” Jack feels like a hypocrite as he says this, but tells himself his situation is different, he and Chase don’t have as much history as Kimiko and Raimundo do.

 

“You’re right.” Kimiko says, sighing almost sadly now, “Let’s talk about something else, yeah? What’s going on with you?”

 

Jack sighs, picking up the bottle again and taking a long sip from it. He’s getting used to the burn, and only coughs a little before he speaks, “So there’s this guy, right?” he begins, Kimiko leans in slightly and nods for him to continue, “This fucking, gorgeous ass guy, who’s way the fuck out of my league, but of course my stupid self decides to get the biggest crush ever on him.” he huffs, running his other hand through his hair, “And I don’t know what to do, cause we’re sort of become friends? Not the same kind of friends as with you guys, but we’re like, close or whatever. I feel so comfortable around him even though I know next to nothing about him, and I don’t want to risk losing what little we have by freaking him out with my feelings.” He’s coherent enough to keep his description vague, he can’t just tell Kimiko he’s crushing on a merman after all.

 

Kimiko makes a considering noise, “You have been happier lately.” she says, and raises an eyebrow when Jack gives her a surprised look, “What? You think we wouldn’t notice? You were so _sad_ when we first met, Jack. Which makes sense, you were grieving, but like, you smile more now, and you have so much more energy when I see you around town. Whoever this guy is, he’s helping, and you’re so much better off for it.” she finishes, and Jack feels the beginnings of tears sting at his eyes.

 

“Kimiko…” he says, not sure how to continue.

 

“Hey, no, none of that sappy friendship shit right now. We’re here to get drunk and talk about boys. Not have a friendship moment.” Kimiko smirks, taking the bottle from him.

 

Jack breathes a laugh, “What if I wanna do both?” he complains, making his voice high and whiney.

 

Kimiko rolls her eyes, “Too bad. Boy talk time.” she takes a small drink, “Anyway, I think you should talk to him, anyone who makes you this happy is someone you should keep around, and I don’t want you to slip back into bad habits because you’re pinning too hard.” that last part feels more like a threat than a friendly reassurance, and Jack smiles out at the ocean.

 

“I’ll think about it,” he says after a long while of silence, maybe he should, he’d probably go down there right now if Kimiko wasn’t sitting here.

 

“Good. Now help me open these chocolates, we still have a lot of booze to get through.” Kimiko orders, struggling with the ribbon around the box, and Jack laughs, feeling warm.

 

He has a killer hangover in the morning, but it’s not quite as miserable with Kimiko there to suffer alongside him.

 

Jack doesn’t end up saying anything to Chase, it doesn’t feel right to break the peace they’ve settled back into so soon. Before he knows it, weeks have passed, and they’re the same as they have been for the past several months. Other than the occasional late-night swim and the comfortable closeness Chase seems to favor now, nothing’s changed. Jack wonders when what they had stopped being enough. He thinks about kissing Chase a lot, pines during the hours they’re apart, but he doesn’t say anything. The truth is he’s scared, too scared of losing everything they have to risk the chance for more.

 

In the end, Jack has always been a coward. So he keeps his mouth shut plasters on a smile and tells himself this is better than nothing.

 

It has to be.

 

* * *

 

 

Jack hasn’t had too many bad days since he and Chase started to spend time together regularly. The comfort the merman’s presence provides chasing away any troubling thoughts more effectively than the sea breeze. Still, they do happen from time to time. Chase is always confused by his mood on these days, questioning with words and soft chirps, but he never presses when Jack doesn’t feel up to explaining, Jack never really feels up to explaining. He appreciates the merman’s presence anyway, the distant feelings of comfort doesn’t fix his ruined mood, but not being alone for most of the day makes the heaviest and harshest thoughts quieter, not gone, never gone, but easier to move past in the long run. It’s been a long while since his last episode, long enough to make Jack think they might be going away for good, that he might be healing. That is, of course, when they come back with a vengeance.

 

The morning started off fine, if a little hectic, with Jack waking up early for once to the quiet pattering of rain outside his window. He busies himself with closing all the windows in the house, barely taking the time to pull on some loose pajama pants over the boxers he slept in his mad dash through the house to prevent too much water from getting inside. The shift happens after he closes the last window on the second floor, when he turns back to the hallway with a relieved sigh and looks up to find himself right in front of the doors to the master bedroom. He stares at the doors for a long while, frozen in place before his body decides to move without his permission. He feels distant from his body as he approaches the doors, like he’s merely a spectator to his own body’s movement. His hand wraps around the handle of one of the doors, hesitating for a beat before he pulls it open ever so slightly, not even enough to see into the room. It’s the smell that gets him; it’s musty like the rest of the house was when Jack first moved in, the smell of dust heavy in the stagnant air, but it’s the sweet curl of floral perfume that curls under his nose, so faint he might as well have imagined it, that jolts him back into awareness.

 

Jack slams the door closed, stumbling back from them feeling like he’s been punched in the gut. Then, like a switch has been flipped, all his energy drains from his body, the ache in his chest and the stinging in his eyes slip away until all Jack can feel is a familiar numbness. He stumbles away from the door and down the stairs, wanting nothing more than to curl up under his blankets and fall back asleep. He pauses in the doorway to his room, staring out the window at the rain that is falling at a steady pace now instead of a little drizzle, suddenly the thought of being alone is suffocating. He goes through the motions of pulling on clothes, not paying attention to the clothes in his hands as his mind whispers the usual cruel words. _Unworthy, a worthless disgrace._ They hiss, sharp and biting as always. Jack finishes getting dressed, stumbling out of his room and towards the backdoors of the manor.

 

He walks down the cliffs, uncaring of the rain that soaks his hair and clothing, picking his way numbly to the safe rocky cliffside to wait for Chase. His mind continues to whisper terrible things as he waits, hunched into a small enclave in the rock to avoid the worst of the rain. _Can’t do anything right._ There’s a distant splash from in front of him, and suddenly Chase is there, beautiful and terrifying all at once, his strong arms ripple as he lifts himself onto the rock, sharp teeth flash brilliantly white as his mouth moves in the shape of Jack’s name. _Not even die._ Jack squeezes his eyes shut at the thought, _A predator sits right in front of you, and you can’t even do that right._

 

“Jack?” Chase’s voice breaks through the thoughts clouding his head, he’s much closer than before, a clawed hand splayed across Jack’s ribs as he eases him away from the cliffside he’s tucked into, “Breathe, Jack.” he orders, curling his other hand under Jack’s knees and pulling him closer.

 

Jack gasps in a rattling breath, the sound loud in his ears, Chase croons in response, tucking Jack’s face into his neck and lifting him easily into his arms. Chase shields him from the rain as they move, setting down after a bit of shifting with Jack still cradled in his arms, Jack doesn’t know where he’s been moved to, can’t really make himself care either as he clings to Chase. Chase has wrapped himself fully around Jack, keeping the rain from hitting Jack as he curls around him, powerful tail tangling with his legs and looping gently around one ankle to keep him close. Chase croons in his ear, chest rumbling against Jack’s in a way that he would call a purr if he was aware enough to register it. They sit like that for an unknown amount of time, rain pounding against Chase’s back heavier and heavier as time passes. Neither of them move, but Jack feels himself inhale shakily, and suddenly he’s speaking.

 

“Did you ever meet the woman that used to live in the manor above?” he asks, voice small against the skin of Chase’s neck.

 

“No, I rarely surfaced before you.” Chase answers, voice low and soothing, it helps Jack to continue, albeit quietly.

 

“She was my grandmother.” he whispers, tucking his face tighter against Chase’s neck as if trying to hide from his own words, “My favorite person in the whole world, my only friend.” he forces out, body shaking as he holds onto Chase tighter.

 

“I see,” Chase says simply, not pushing, not expectant, only accepting of whatever Jack wants to tell him. That’s what breaks open the floodgates, and suddenly Jack can’t stop talking.

 

Jack shifts his face so his cheek is pressed to Chase’s shoulder, “I used to s-spend summers here, growing up. We’d come down to this beach e-everyday and just waste the time away. She loved the ocean, everything about it, from the sand to the water, and everything in between. S-she used to tell me stories about people like you, ” Chase tenses slightly above him, but Jack keeps talking, “she had a story for everything, mermaids, sea witches, d-dragons, you name it and she could tell a story about it.” he laughs hollowly, blinking the moisture out of his eyes, “But then everything changed.” his voice breaks on the last word, and he stops to breathe for a long while, feeling drained.

 

Chase allows him his silence, giving him plenty of time to gather himself before speaking, “What happened?” he prods gently, and Jack finds himself answering without thinking about it.

 

“Sheー she never got along with my father, they fought all the time, and he didn’t care about any of our family’s traditions or anything we held dear.” he breathes in shakily, “He convinced my mother to distance herself from my grandmother, and forced me to go along with it, I was just a kid, I couldn’t do anything about it. Iー” Jack squeezes his eyes shut, moisture falls down his cheek, “I never saw her again, not until her funeral. She died, all alone.” tears drip down Jack’s face and onto Chase’s skin, his eyes ache when he squeezes them closed, hiding his face in Chase’s neck again.

 

“You blame yourself,” Chase says quietly, it’s not a question.

 

Jack chokes out a hollow laugh into Chase’s neck, “I should have done something, I should have fought back, should have argued and fought to stay with her. But I was too much of a coward, too afraid of what he could do to me to do anything but obey.”

 

“You were a child,” Chase argues, voice mild but stubborn

 

Jack croaks out a harsh laugh, the sound twists in the air and sounds closer to a sob to his ears, “I’m not now! I had five years that I could have spent with her, and she wouldn’t have had to be alone! I-I could have done something, anything! Instead, I just left her here to die all alone!” He’s yelling by the end, clutching at Chase’s damp skin and shaking so hard his vision blurs, though that might just be the tears pouring from his eyes.

 

Chase croons in his ear, shifting his hold on Jack to pull him closer, the rumbling purr starts again, not stopping until his sobs quiet down to weak hiccups, tears still rolling down his cheeks. Chase cradles the back of his head with one large hand, “Shhh, Jack, quiet now.” he croons into his ear, “You were young, and the situation was out of your control, I know she does not blame you, how could she?”

 

“B-but, butー” Jack tries to argue but is quickly cut off by another soothing croon.

 

“To grieve for a loved one’s loss is natural, to allow it to consume you dishonors both yourself and the memory the person leaves behind. I have not had the honor of meeting your grandmother, however, anyone you hold so dear would not wish for you to suffer this way. She would not want you to wallow in your grief, not when you are so bright despite it.” Chase’s words are sure, his tone not allowing argument, so Jack doesn’t even try.

 

Instead, he slumps into Chase’s hold, allowing the merman to guide his head to rest against his neck again and curl even tighter around him, his rumbling purrs vibrating through Jack’s body continuously. Jack cries more into Chase’s neck, letting out his bottled-up grief and regret in the safety of Chase’s hold. Chase allows this without a word, pressing his teeth to the skin of his shoulder and running a clawed hand lightly up and down his back. Chase croons and trills in his ear, and Jack’s tears slow to a trickle and then into nothing as time passes unknown to either of them. He feels numb again, but in a different way, emotionally exhausted instead of weighed down by his regrets. They sit like that for a long time, Chase’s purrs and croons never faltering even as the rain beats down harder and harder against his back. Their peace is broken by the sound of a rock skittering over the edge of the cliff, and Chase tenses up immediately, purr shifting into a furious growl as his head whips around to see the threat.

 

“Jack, get away from that thing.” Kimiko’s voice calls from past Chase, and Jack lifts his head from Chase’s neck to find her on the path leading up to the manor, expression deadly serious and both palms coated in fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this! I had to split it up because it was getting long!
> 
> I'm almost done writing it and then my beta will have to read it over, but this fic should be completed in a few days!!

Jack sits frozen in Chase’s arms, eyes locked on the fire coating his friend’s palms. Kimiko doesn’t take his silence well, flame flaring higher in her palms despite the steady rain soaking her clothing as she takes a step closer to them. Chase’s growls raise in volume at her approach, shaking Jack’s body by proxy, but Jack only blinks out of his stupor as he’s pulled tighter to the merman's chest. Chase’s body trembles with the vibrations of his growls, every muscle tensed and ready to strike if Kimiko tries to approach them further. Jack’s mind responds to the threatening sound so close to him with fear before he can stop it, telling him to run away from Chase and hide in the merman’s chest at the same time. However, the hands holding Jack are gentle, holding him firmly but not crushing him, his wicked claws held carefully so as not to dig into Jack’s skin. That realization breaks through the cloud of instinctual fear clouding Jack’s judgment, allowing him to think clearly once again. He knows Chase would never hurt him, especially not when he’s responding to a possible threat to the both of them. Kimiko, on the other hand, is in real danger from the merman unless Jack does something, and quick.

  
“Stop!” Jack yells, hoping both of them can hear him over the rain and Chase’s growls. They freeze at his voice, Chase’s growls cutting off mid-rumble and Kimiko’s fire flickering briefly before receding slightly into her palms. Jack breathes a sigh of relief, placing a hand over the one holding him to Chase and gently prying it away.   


  
“Jack,” Chase warns lowly, voice still half a growl, he allows Jack to remove the hand though.   


  
“She’s a friend, she won’t hurt me,” Jack whispers, he knows he has to get Kimiko away from Chase, so he can explain, and possibly receive some explanations of his own. Chase still doesn’t move away to let Jack stand up, too focused on watching Kimiko with a deadly glare. “Chase.” Jack tries again, pushing gently on Chase’s chest to try and give himself enough space to stand.   
  
Chase rumbles in reply, clearly unhappy about him leaving if the tense line of his shoulders is any hint, but he allows Jack to shimmy out of his hold. He watches Kimiko closely as Jack stands and shuffles his way towards her, and Jack can hear the growl bubbling up in his throat again the closer Jack gets to her with her palms still coated in fire. Kimiko is watching him just as intently, her expression twisted into a  scowl, but she waves the fire away with a flick of her wrist once Jack gets close anyway, forcing Jack behind her before she takes her eyes off Chase.    


  
She says nothing, briefly sparing Jack a flat look before she grabs his wrist and begins to lead him back up the cliffs. Chase’s growls sound again when she touches him, but Jack waves his free hand at him as he’s dragged away, trying his best to tell him he will be fine. The growls grow distant the further up the cliffs they get, covered by the sound of rain and their footsteps on the rocky path. Kimiko drags him all the way to the top of the cliffs, and past the manor, not stopping until they reach Raimundo’s car parked in front of the manor. She half shoves him inside, sliding in behind him and slamming the door without a word. The other three stare at them with wide eyes but are wise enough not to say anything just yet, Raimundo puts the car in drive without a word and the manor gets smaller and smaller behind them as they drive towards town.   


  
“Head to the shop, we need to talk,” Kimiko says once the manor is fully out of view behind them, her shoulder is tense where it’s pressed against Jack’s, expression flat but clearly unhappy.   


  
No one says anything in reply, and Jack tries to make himself as small as possible in his seat, feeling as though he’s done something horrible somehow. Omi’s rests a hand on the wet fabric of his shirt, eyes  worried as he takes in the tear tracks on Jack’s cheeks, but he says nothing, simply offering Jack this small comfort on the ride to what Jack is sure is going to be one of the worst conversations of his life.

 

* * *

 

The silence continues when they reach the shop, Omi ushering Jack inside and out of the rain without a word. Omi leaves him standing to the side of the door, rushing towards the back of the shop. The others follow behind them, the squeak of their wet shoes against the welcome mat Jack’s only warning of their presence. Jack is too busy staring at the shop around him to pay them much mind. From the outside this place is nothing much, an old rundown shop past its prime that’s only still running through the loyalty of small-town customers. On the inside, it’s like something out of a Harry Potter book.    


  
It’s still sort of old and dusty on the inside, but it’s full of enough items that practically scream magic to make Jack’s head spin. There are the usual crystals and cheap charms Jack would expect to find in a shop like this sure, but there are also small glowing orbs that float several centimeters off their pedestals and hum ever so slightly. Shelves of mysterious liquids in various bottles line the walls behind the counter, some shifting and glowing in their casings. Bookshelves cover every wall, filled with books of varying sizes that make his ears tingle and buzz when he shifts closer without leaving his spot. Above his head is a cluster of fireflies made of pure light that dance above their heads to light the shop in a warm glow. The whole shop makes him feels like he did just after his talisman was activated, buzzing with energy yet exhausted at the same time.    


  
His thoughts are interrupted by something warm and soft being thrown over his head, it turns out to be a towel, and Jack pushes it out of his eyes to find Omi smiling up at him, arms full of more towels. He turns away from Jack to pass the rest of the towels to the others, and Jack dries his dripping hair roughly before he gets distracted by the shop around him again. He’s patting at the skin of his neck idly when someone finally speaks.   


  
“Let’s go to the back,” Kimiko says, towel hanging around her neck. She doesn’t wait for them to say anything, simply leading the way and expecting them to follow.   


  
They follow Kimiko silently, moving around the counter and through the door between the racks of potions. and Jack finds himself in an office filled with even more magical items, an archway leading further into the back on the other side of the wall. Kimiko drops heavily into the office chair there, suddenly looking exhausted, and the others each find a place to perch along the walls, leaving Jack standing in the middle of them, suddenly nervous under all their attention.   


  
“What’s this about, Kimi?” Rai asks, breaking the silence carefully. The attention shifts from Jack to Kimiko, though Jack is sure it will be back on him soon enough after Kimiko explains.   


  
Kimiko ignores his question, turning her attention to Jack instead, “How long?” she asks, her expression tells Jack that she won’t be happy no matter his answer.   
  


“I found him a little less than a week after I moved in.” He answers, best to be honest, he has a feeling this isn’t leading to anything good.   
  


Kimiko drops her head into her hands, “Fuck.”    
  


“What are you two talking about? What did you find, Jack?” Raimundo demands, irritation in his voice at being left out of the loop.    
  


Kimiko takes a deep breath, lifting her head out of her hands and leaning back in her chair before answering, “I just found Jack with the merman we’ve been tracking wrapped around him like a fucking snake.”    
  


“What!?” the other three shout at once, they dissolve into a dizzying mess of shouting between the four of them, totally ignoring Jack as they shout over each other at Kimiko to get further details. The room buzzes around them in response, reacting to the heightened emotions of the four in front of him by filling the air with a crackling hum of magic that feels distinctly different from the one used on Jack’s talisman. Kimiko straightens up fully in her seat, meeting the others shouts with her own, her voice mingling with the others and adding a wave of heat to the buzz filling the room. Jack tries to make himself as small as possible in response to the sudden hostility filling the room, backing up until his back is pressed to the door leading to the rest of the shop. He can pick out every other word they say over the hum of magic; something about traps and charms, Omi’s outraged cry about fishermen, but it’s what Kimiko said before the chaos began that sticks with him.    
  


The air begins to feel heavy as they continue to yell, and Jack pants for breath against the door in response, fighting for every breath. Finally, the fear of suffocating overtakes his fear of what his friends could do to him, and he gathers the energy to yell, “Would you all shut up for a second?!” He says to the room at large, just loud enough to gain their attention. His small burst of courage slipping away as quickly as it came when they turn their attention towards him, magic crackling around them and frustration still bright in their eyes. He shrinks back against the door further at the anger in their eyes, and they soften immediately to his obvious distress; tension dropping out of their shoulders and magic quieting to a low whisper of a hum as they all try to compose themselves. Whatever this is about is serious to them, that much is obvious.   
  


“What do you guys mean by tracking?” Jack asks hesitantly after the room quiets, relaxing slightly now that it doesn’t look like their magic is about to lash out at him.   
  
It’s Clay that answers, “It’s what we do, Jack, hunting the monsters and supernatural in the area.” he explains, looking embarrassed by his magical outburst and carefully keeping his distance so to not scare Jack further, “It keeps people safe.”   


  
“Isn’t that a little hypocritical? You know, since you guys are obviously magic too?” he asks carefully, not wanting to take the chance of pissing them off now that he knows he’s the weakest person in the room, it’s a feeling Jack is used to.   
  


They shift uncomfortably in response, expressions conflicted as they glance at each other before Omi finally speaks, “Perhaps, but we do not hurt people, Jack Spicer, we protect them!” he says, looking less uncomfortable and more excited the longer he speaks.    
  


“Protect them how?” Jack asks, easing away from the door and shuffling more towards the center of the room.    
  


Raimundo answers, “Patrolling mostly, warding is usually enough to keep most of the harmful creatures away from town, but sometimes we have to get more hands-on with things.” he explains, looking relieved as Jack continues not to openly freak out.   
  


It hits Jack that they were probably just as worried about how he would react to this as he was about them finding out about Chase. The thought should be a comfort, but if this conversation is headed the way Jack thinks it is, he can’t afford to relax fully. Jack hesitates before asking his next question, sure he doesn’t want to know the answer, “What does ‘getting more hands-on’ mean?” he asks Raimundo, watching the others shift uncomfortably again out of the corner of his eye.    
Raimundo answers without pausing, “Usually charms to chase them off, sometimes we have to fight them directly, but we usually use traps before engaging with a creature directly. Like that net weー”    
  


“What?” Jack interrupts, voice flat.   
  


Raimundo hesitates briefly before continuing, “Yeah, uh, we tried to catch the, um, the merman or whatever that’s been terrorizing the shores, but he got away somehow.” he says, glancing back at the others worriedly as he takes in whatever expression is on Jack’s face.   
  


“That was you guys? You’re the ones that trapped him in that?” he asks, voice barely above a whisper. He remembers that net well; how sharp the barbs where, how deep they dug into Chase’s skin, preventing him from getting loose as the net tangled around him. That net was never meant for catching something, only keeping its target still while they died slowly and painfully. His stomach rolls, distantly he can feel himself shaking, and he vaguely feels like he’s about to be sick.   
  


Suddenly Kimiko is in front of him, holding his shoulders as she guides him to sit in the chair she was in before, “Jack, breathe. You need to calm down.” she tries to soothe, rubbing his arms up and down gently as she speaks.    
  


“Calm down?” Jack hears himself whisper, and suddenly it’s all too much, “Calm dー How the fuck am I supposed to calm down!?” he’s suddenly yelling, anger taking place of the nauseous feeling in his stomach, “Do you even understand how fucked up that is?”   
  


“He killed people, Jack!” Kimiko yells back, fire in her eyes. Jack doesn’t flinch at that, because he knows, it must say something about him that he has accepted that about Chase already, but that doesn’t matter right now.   
  


Jack scoffs, “You think you’re any better?” he spits, they flinch at the words, saying nothing, “You didn’t just try to kill him, you tried to kill him slowly, so he would suffer!” Jack continues, breathing heavily.   
  


The fight leaves him just as quickly as it appeared, and he deflates back into the chair, head hitting the back of the chair with a small whump. Suddenly he’s exhausted, the numbness and emotional turmoil from earlier taking their toil at the loss of the adrenaline that flooded his system. He can’t look at the four in front of him, he doesn’t want them to see him like this. They have no idea what he goes through every day living in the manor, Jack can’t help but think that’s for the best now. The distance he didn’t even realize he was keeping between them suddenly feeling more like a shield than a barrier. Honestly, he feels a little betrayed, both on Chase’s behalf and for being kept in the dark for so long. This is why he doesn’t make friends.   
  


“Jack…” Kimiko starts, the fight gone from her voice.    
  


Jack doesn’t want to listen to her excuses, “What are you going to do to him?” he asks instead, lifting his head to look each of them in the eye.   
  


Kimiko opens her mouth to answer but hesitates and closes it again. The silence is nearly deafening. Finally, Omi speaks, “We will have to get him away from the shore, by any means necessary. We cannot let him hurt any more people.” he answers quietly, voice resigned.   


  
“That’s what I thought you’d say.” Jack sighs, letting his gaze fall to the floor. He stares at it for a long while, no one speaks, the silence hangs heavy in the air. “What do I have to do to save him?” he asks finally, whatever happens, he can’t just let Chase die.   
  


“I doubt you could talk him into leaving the shore alone, Pardner,” Clay says instead of answering.   
  


“He’s not a fucking animal, Clay, you all realize that, right?” Jack snaps, Clay lowers his head without a word, shame flashing in his eyes. Jack forces himself to take a deep breath before continuing, “He’ll listen to me, but I need to know you aren’t going to attack him if I try and talk to him.”   
  


“We wouldn’tー” Raimundo begins, cutting himself off when Jack sends him a glare.   
  


“You have our word we won’t attack him, but I can only give you 24 hours. We have a job to do, Jack Spicer, I hope you understand,” Omi says, watching him sadly.    
  


Jack ignores the look, standing from the chair and dropping the towel where he was sitting, “And I can’t just stand here and let you kill him, I hope you understand,” he replies. He makes eye contact with Kimiko as he passes her, her eyes are too knowing for his liking, so he pushes forward, leaving the back room without another word. He hears her follow him out of the room, but he’s halfway to the door before Kimiko speaks up.   
  


“I’m sorry, Jack.”    
  


“I’m sorry too.”   
  


After all, it’s not their fault he fell in love with a merman.   
  


* * *

  
Jack is totally soaked by the time he gets back to the manor, his clothes sticking to his skin in places and hanging off his frame heavily in others. He doesn't bother going inside before heading down to the beach, ignoring the uncomfortable weight of his clothes and the shaking in his limbs in his single-minded mission to get to Chase as soon as possible. The path is slick from the rain as he walks, his wet boots slide more than grip the rock under his feet as he rushes down to the low cliffs where he left Chase. He slides when he reaches the branch off to the path that leads to the cliffs sitting above the high tide crashing against the rocks, cursing and scrambling for a hold on the slick rock for several heart-pounding seconds before he steadies himself. He doesn’t pause to panic about how close he was to falling into the ocean, pushing off the rock and continuing on his way instead.    
  


Jack falls to his knees once he reaches the place he left Chase, gasping for breath and squinting through the downpour as he searches for a familiar flash of green. Chase is nowhere to be found, but Jack wasn’t really expecting him to be. He pushes his wet hair out of his eyes before turning his attention to the ocean that rages beyond the cliffs. A storm is building in the distance, dark clouds heavy with rain rumbling ominously over the harsh waves. The dark water shows no sign of Chase either, and Jack curses under his breath, there’s only one more thing to try.   
  


“Chase!” Jack yells out to the ocean, voice quickly lost under the sound of rain and the crash of waves. He doesn’t give up, calling out for Chase over and over in the hope that he’ll hear his voice and appear like he usually does.   
  


He gives up when his voice begins to go hoarse, slumping back onto his knees and breathing heavily. The sounds of the storm fill his ears, surrounding him completely with the harsh sounds of the ocean, it’s not a comfort as it usually is. Now, the scream of the wind and the crash of waves sounds like a failure, like a death sentence. Frustrated tears sting in the corners of his eyes, but he rubs them away roughly before they can fall, covering his face with his hands when that fails. He can’t afford to break down now, not while Chase needs him.   
  


He doesn’t have enough time to wait for the storm to pass and for Chase to visit him as usual, not with the time limit Omi gave him. Chase never told him anything about avoiding more traps when he came to visit, but Jack doubts the others will leave his beach out of their search now that Kimiko has seen Chase here. He doesn’t know what the others will do to Chase if they find him, whether they will kill him outright for what he’s done or trap him and leave him to his fate as they had before. The thought alone makes his stomach roll.   
  


There’s a sharp trilling sound from in front of him, and Jack’s head snaps up in response, hope fluttering in his chest. Chase is pulling himself up onto the edge of the cliff when the tears clear from Jack’s eyes, the laugh of relief Jack lets out sounds suspiciously like a sob. Chase’s attention is on him immediately, his golden eyes sharp as they look Jack over intently for any injuries. Jack gives him a wavering smile in response, and Chase grumbles a bit before he begins to drag himself further onto the cliff and nearer to Jack.    
  


Jack meets him halfway, crawling on his hands and knees towards the merman and throwing his arms around him as soon as he’s close enough. Chase clicks twice in surprise, tensing briefly at the contact before relaxing into it and drawing Jack closer with one arm. Chase croons soothingly at him as Jack sniffles into the skin of his shoulder, nearly dizzy with relief. He seems content to let Jack hang off of him, simply reclining back on one arm and holding Jack loosely with the other, a constant low purr rumbling through Jack where they touch. Jack clings tightly to the merman, not wanting to let go yet, but eventually, he loosens his hold and leans back to look Chase in the eyes.   
  


“What is wrong?” Chase asks before Jack can say anything, sliding the arm around him down to rest at the dip of Jack’s back.   
  


Jack opens his mouth to answer but no words come out, they tangle in his throat the longer he sits there, mouth opening and closing uselessly. Fuck, how is he supposed to do this? Chase waits for him to gather himself patiently, watching him carefully with soft eyes as he slides his hand up and down Jack’s back to try and soothe him. Jack wants to cry at the gentleness of it, wants to scream and rage against the inevitable, but in the end, he can only force a hoarse whisper out of his throat.   
  


“You have to leave.” Jack forces out, swallowing thickly around the tightness of his throat.    
  


Chase’s finned ears flatten against his head, his hand freezing on Jack’s back, claws digging slightly into the wet fabric of his shirt, “What?” he asks, his tone is carefully blank, but Jack is close enough to see the gentleness fade out of his eyes, to watch the usual hard stare take its place. It’s enough to get the words loose from his throat, and suddenly he can’t stop talking.   
  


“They’ll kill you if you don’t, myー my friends will. I didn’t know they were the ones that hurt you, I swear I didn’t, b-but they won't stop hunting you  i-if you don’t get away from the shore.” the words rush out of his mouth, and Jack grips Chase’s bicep tightly as they continue, his hands shaking and tears falling down his cheeks, “T-they gave me twenty-four hours to get you away from the shore, b-but I don’t know what they’ll do to you after that. I’m so sorry, I didn’t know, I didn’t.” Jack’s nearly hyperventilating by the end, tears clouding his vision once more as he shakes and gasps for breath around the words pouring out of his mouth.   
  


The hand on his back pulls him to Chase’s chest, “Shh, Jack, calm yourself.” Chase says into his hair, his voice is gentle again, and Jack can do no more than shake and hiccup into his chest, “I cannot be killed so easily.”   
  


Jack shakes his head against Chase’s chest, he needs to calm down and explain properly, this isn’t about his feelings. No matter how many times he tells himself that, he can’t make himself let go of Chase just yet, clinging to him tightly as he speaks into his chest, “They’re the ones that caught you with that net.”   
  


Chase tenses slightly under him, but he keeps his voice carefully neutral as he responds, careful not to upset Jack further, “I have escaped their traps before, I will not be taken by surprise again.” he promises.   
  


The words make a hot flash of irritation spike inside Jack, he pushes back from Chase’s chest quickly to glare at the merman, “What happens if you get caught again, Chase?” He asks, rubbing roughly at the tears on his cheeks, rain takes their place instantly, but Jack ignores that, “What if I’m not around to get you out this time? What if you get stuck somewhere and I can’t find you? All because you chose to visit me instead of staying somewhere safe?” His voice cracks as he begins to yell, his hands shake as he gestures widely with frustration.   
  


“Jackー” Chase tries to interject, ears flaring with his own irritation as Jack asks question after question.    
  


Jack doesn’t let him finish whatever argument he was going to make, “I won’t let you die for me, Chase!” He yells. The fight goes out of him all at once, and he slumps into himself protectively, wrapping his arms around his torso tightly as he stares down at the rock underneath him. He can see the gleam of Chase’s tail out of the corner of his eye, and he squeezes his eyes shut to try and prevent tears from pooling in them, “Please, I can’t watch you die, not for me,” he whispers, voice wrecked and weak.   
  


Jack can hear Chase shift in front of him, the slide of his tail against the wet stone barely audible over the sound of the rain around them. A hand settles on Jack’s head, he doesn’t startle at the touch but doesn’t lift his head to look at Chase either. Chase lets out a breath through his teeth, the air coming out as a low hiss, “Very well,” he says finally, Jack’s head snaps up to look at Chase, and the merman’s hand slides off his head to settle back at the small of his back. He doesn’t look particularly happy about agreeing, but his expression is more resigned than truly angry about being forced into this, “if it would make you happy, I will keep my distance.”   
  


Jack grins back at Chase, “Thank you,” he whispers, relief heavy in his voice. Chase grumbles in reply, but his expression is gentle, almost fond.    
  


Jack’s heart pounds as hope bubbles up in his chest, he feels nearly dizzy with it, what he should do is send the merman on his way as quickly as he can and go back to the manor and dry off before he gets terribly sick from staying in the rain for so long, but he doesn’t want to do that. He wants to spend as much time as he can in Chase’s presence before he leaves for who knows how long. The rush of relief in his veins is a heady feeling after the panic and stress of the day, so instead of doing what he should do, he does something stupid again, while he still has the chance.   
  


He kisses Chase.   
  


The kiss is inelegant and borderline uncomfortable. Jack flings himself at Chase before he has the chance to second-guess himself, nearly headbutting the merman in his rush. Their teeth click together on impact, the sharp point of one of Chase’s teeth catching on Jack's bottom lip and nicking the delicate skin. The press of their lips is too hard, and their noses are crammed together uncomfortably, Jack’s lunge towards the merman leaving no room for finesse or skill, but Jack doesn’t think about that, too caught up in the realization that he’s kissing Chase. The seconds stretch uncomfortably, and Jack feels the last of his hope shrivel up and die in his chest the longer Chase remains frozen against him.    
  


Jack starts to pull away almost immediately, eyes stinging with fresh tears as he curses himself for ruining their friendship at the last minute. There’s barely a millimeter of space between their lips when Chase  _ responds _ , hand sliding up Jack’s back to tangle in his hair and hold him in place. Jack couldn’t suppress his full body shiver if he wanted to as deadly claws trail up his spine slowly and twine gently through his hair. A gasp slips past his lips as he’s pulled chest to chest with Chase, the merman’s breath ghosting across his lips. The purr Chase lets out is different from any of the others Jack has heard, deeper, rolling through Chase and into Jack as Chase presses their lips together once more.    
  


Their second kiss goes much smoother with Chase in charge. He tilts Jack's head slightly with the hand in his hair, so their noses don’t collide as their lips press together. Jack freezes at the gentle contact, breath stuttering in his chest before he relaxes into it. His hands slide up from where they rest uselessly against Chase’s chest, cupping the merman’s jaw for a few seconds before raising further to tangle in the wet curtain of his hair. The tears building in Jack’s eyes drip down his cheeks, unnoticed in the rain as Jack’s eyes flutter closed, mingling with the sharp taste of Chase’s lips until he can't tell whether it’s the bite of salt water or his tears he’s tasting on Chase’s lips. Jack sighs into the kiss, melting further against Chase as the merman swipes his tongue across his bottom lip, the tang of copper mingling with the taste of salt on his tongue.   
  


Chase pulls back slowly, teeth holding carefully onto Jack’s lower lip as he draws back, he gives it one final nip before drawing back completely. His eyes are intense as he takes Jack in, half-lidded molten gold meeting his with an open longing that makes Jack’s chest ache. His hand shifts in Jack’s hair, holding tighter for just a moment before loosening his grip and slipping down to rest at his neck. His expression contorts, the soft set of his mouth twisting unhappily, and Jack makes a little nonsense sound in the back of his throat in response. The corner of Chase’s mouth curls up slightly at the sound, and he pulls Jack closer once more to press a gentle, chaste kiss to his lips before pulling back again.   
  


Chase’s hand shifts from Jack's neck to cradle his cheek carefully, the tips of his claws resting ever so lightly against the crest of Jack’s cheekbone. Jack leans into the touch without thinking about it, soaking in the affection like a sponge now that he knows it’s okay. He can’t bring himself to smile, even while his heart soars in his chest, instead he eases his hands out of Chase’s hair and pulls them back to cradle them against his chest. Chase sighs, brushing his thumb over Jack’s cheek before pulling away slowly. His hand lingers on Jack’s face, expression contorting again, before allowing the hand to fall to his side.   
  


“I will stay near, if you have need of me, I will come,” Chase tells him, he clenches his jaw, looking like he wants to say something else, but in the end, he says nothing. Within one blink and the next, Chase is gone, back into the ocean where he’s safe.   
  


Jack watches the place Chase once sat for a long time, ignoring the rain that continues to fall around him. He presses his fingers to his lips, flinching a little when he touches the small cut on his lower lip from Chase’s teeth.    
  


Chase had kissed him back.    
  


He wishes he could feel happy about that right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They Smooched!!!
> 
> You can find my beta [here](https://comfortably-chaotic-mind.tumblr.com/) and [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_hunter93/pseuds/Shadow_hunter93)
> 
> And my tumblr is [here](http://peachpandabear.tumblr.com/) if you want to chat!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it!!

Jack makes his way back up to the manor on autopilot, attention more focused on the slight aching of his lips than on the path in front of him. He only snaps out of his haze when the door shuts behind him, blinking slowly as his eyes adjust to the warm glow of the lights. Nothing feels real as he stands in his empty home, dripping heavily all over the floor. He stands in the doorway for a long while, unable to force himself to move as he stares blankly at the house around him. Eventually, he moves, stripping out of his wet clothes and leaving them in a sopping pile by the door before he stumbles through the house towards his room. He collapses onto his bed, wet hair dampening the pillow under him immediately and still damp skin causing the sheets to stick to him slightly, but he ignores all of that to stare out the window next to his bed. He doesn’t cry, doesn’t have the energy to anyway, simply stares at the darkening sky outside his window silently. He lays that way for who knows how long, feeling numb and exhausted, eventually his eyes flutter closed, and he falls into the dark oblivion of sleep.   
  


When Jack wakes up, the storm is still lingering in the sky above. The muted sunlight coming through his window doesn’t give him any hints as to how long he slept, the quiet sounds of rain outside almost lulling him back to sleep before the sound of thunder wakes him fully. The low rumbling sounds above his head, muffled by the manor walls but loud enough to warn him away from going outside. Not that he has a reason to go outside anymore anyway. He pushes that thought aside, sitting up in bed and pushing the tangled mess of his hair away from his face with one hand. He still feels tired, but a glance at the clock shows that it’s already noon, so he pushes past that feeling and stumbles out of bed.    
  


He goes through the motions of getting ready for the day, pulling clothes on at random like he did yesterday and stumbling through his routine half-heartedly. He stares at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, taking in the tired look in his eyes blankly. His eyes ache from all the crying he did yesterday and the cut on his lip is stark and obvious against the paleness of his skin, but it doesn’t feel like he’s getting sick at least. Jack runs a thumb carefully over the cut, careful not to reopen it as he stares at himself in the mirror. His mind flashes to the memory of Chase pressed against him and he flinches, dropping his hand away from his face immediately, best not to think about that now.    
  


Instead, he exits the bathroom and makes his way through the house towards the kitchen. He nearly inhales his cereal, remembering suddenly that he hadn’t paused to eat anything yesterday in the emotional turmoil of the day. He feels vaguely nauseous after he finishes, but he ignores that to gather up the wet clothes he left by the back door last night. He hangs them up in the bathroom to dry, pointedly looking away from the mirror the whole time. When he’s done he wanders the house looking for something to occupy his time, anything to distract him from the quiet of the house around him and the loneliness that’s already trying to overwhelm him.   
  


He knew he spent the majority of his days down at the beach with Chase, but he didn’t fully realize what that meant until he didn't have that option anymore. There will be no more lazy days spent on the beach with Chase, stretched out on the hot sand and luxuriating in the comfort the ocean brings. No more comfortable silences as the waves crash against the rocks below them. No more soothing croons and careful touches. No more Chase. He suddenly feels like crying as he stands in the middle of his empty house, but no tears come. The crushing weight of loss settles on his shoulders instead, leaving him even more tired than before.    
  


Someone knocks on the door, the sound echoing loudly through the house. Jack takes a deep breath, composing himself as much as he can before he goes to open the door. Kimiko stands several feet away from the door, a large black umbrella shielding her from the rain. She’s looking back towards the car when he opens the door, but she whips around quickly to look at him when he clears his throat. Her nervous expression softens into one of pity when she takes him in, which Jack chooses to ignore, she shifts her hold on her umbrella when Jack doesn’t say anything, clearing her throat awkwardly and giving him a weak smile.   
  


“Hey, Jack.”   
  


“Hi, Kimiko,” They stare at each other for a long moment, neither sure what to say. Jack glances over Kimiko’s shoulder idly, spotting the other three waiting in the car behind her. Jack sighs, too tired to deal with this, “He’s already gone.”   
  


Kimiko’s shoulders slump at his words, she lets out a quiet sigh, seemingly from relief, “Right, okay. That’s, that’s good.”    
  


“Yeah.”   
  


Kimiko presses her lips together, glancing over her shoulder before she speaks, “I’m sorry, Jack, really. I wish it didn’t have to be this way,” she says, voice genuinely sad, her eyes shine with unshed tears.   
  


Jack forces out a sharp laugh, glancing away from her face and down at the wet stone at their feet, “Yeah, me too.”   
  


Kimiko steps closer, placing a hand on his shoulder carefully, “Just, take care of yourself, okay?”   
  


Jack makes a non-committal noise, “Sure, there’s not much else for me to do anyway.”   
  


Kimiko sighs, stepping back, “Bye, Jack.”   
  


“See ya, Kimiko.” Jack watches her walk back to the car, waiting until she’s inside the car and they’re driving away before he goes back inside, closing the door behind him.    
  


It was nice, having friends, even if it was just for a little while.   


 

* * *

 

 

Jack sort of drifts after that.    
  


He goes through the motions of the routine he kept before he started making trips down to the beach. Forcing himself to eat and sleep regularly as he drifts from task to task in a desperate attempt to distract himself. It works during the day, his mind too busy jumping from task to task to avoid having to think about the aching in his chest. At night, however, he has no escape from the weight of his loss. He feels worse now than he did after his grandmother’s funeral. The dark cloud that followed him in the past back with a vengeance and doubled in size at the loss of his support, but this time he has no one to help him out of it.    
  


He sees the others in town occasionally, when he forces himself to go down for food, but their relationship is strained now. He gets it, really, he does, Jack chose the monster over them. If he’s honest, he would do it again without any hesitation, saving Chase would always be his first choice. But he’d be lying if he said he doesn’t miss them. That not being able to text Kimiko or make fun of Raimundo with Omi and Clay doesn’t hurt. He misses their presence, not as much as he misses Chase, but it’s a close thing. He’s really, truly alone now.    
  


So, he wanders the house, searching endlessly for something to fix, something to do, before he has to succumb to the quiet of sleep. He finds himself in front of the doors to his grandmother’s room again, hand hovering above the handle as he tries to make the decision whether to go inside or run and hide in his room. Really, how bad could it be? He’s as low as he’s ever been, might as well take that final leap. He really doesn’t have anything to lose.   
  


It’s that thought that spurs him into action, it’s what makes him grip the handle of the door and yank it open before he has a chance to second-guess himself and suddenly, he’s staring into his grandmother’s room. The musty scent that filled the house when he first got here is strong here, but Jack can’t pick up any trace of the floral perfume he thought he smelled before. Jack ignores everything else in the room to cross to the other side and open the windows, dust flies into the air as he draws the curtains back, making him sneeze and cough a bit while he pries the window open. He opens the rest in a similar manner, and soon the room is full of light from outside and the sound of the ocean.    
  


Jack steps back to look the room over, wiping streaks of dust off his black clothes absently. Dust covers the room thickly, turning the once dark wood around the room into a faded brown, the books inside the bookshelves built into the walls on either side of Jack are the only things left mostly clean, and Jack can see a clear trail of footprints in the dust coating the floor from where he walked in. He feels a twinge of guilt for letting this room reach this point, but he feels raw already from being in here for this short of a time, so he doubts he could have survived being in here long enough to clean the place.    
  


Jack takes several deep breaths, trying to slow his rapid breathing and stop the shaking in his hands. He spots a flash of pure white out of the corner of his eye, turning and searching for the color again to try and distract himself from his rising panic. It’s a shell, a large pure white conch shell with a mother of pearl sheen to its center. It sits primly on the dust covered desk next to his grandmother’s four-poster bed, on top of the pale outline of several pieces of paper sitting neatly in the middle of the desk. It holds the papers where they are on the desk, keeping them from blowing away with the breeze blowing through the room from the windows. Jack stares at the desk blankly, breath slowing to a manageable speed and heart thumping in his chest wildly.   
  


Jack takes a deep breath to steady himself before he approaches the desk, carefully moving the shell off the papers and lifting them carefully off the desk. Some of the dust shakes off the papers as he lifts them, revealing what looks like a handwritten letter. He recognizes his grandmother’s careful penmanship through the light layer of dust on the paper, and he sees the curl of a J at the top of the page that could be the start of his name. He brushes the dust off with shaking fingers and begins to read.   
  


 

_ My Dearest Jack, _ __   
__   


_ Hello, my darling, if you’re reading this, it means I have passed and that everything has gone as it should with my will proceedings. I’m so sorry you must hear from me like this, I wish we could speak in person, but I fear we will not have that chance. I will simply have to tell you all that I can through this letter. _ __   
__   


_ There is so much I want to say to you, so much that needs to be said, but where do I begin? I’ve written and rewritten this letter hundreds of times over the years, but it never gets any easier to find the right words. Most importantly, Jack, is that I do not want you to blame yourself for our separation. I do not know your feelings about your father, though I suspect them to be less than positive for a number of reasons, if you are to blame anyone for this, blame him. That sounds harsh, and it is not the point I am trying to make. What I am trying to tell you is that none of this is your fault, it never was, and it never will be. You were too young to do anything about it when it happened, and I cannot imagine the horrible things your father threatened to keep you under his thumb once you became an adult. _ __   
__   


_ This has turned to a rather dark subject, hasn’t it? I’m sorry for that, the last thing I want to do is upset you further, I have a feeling this has been a difficult time for you. I will switch to a happier topic now, for both of our sakes, but what to say? It’s been years since I told you a story, hasn’t it? Perhaps you’ve grown too old to believe in your old grandmother’s stories, but I hope that isn’t the case, I hope there is still room for magic in your heart even after I am gone. Do you remember my stories? I hope that you do, I’m having trouble remembering some of them myself these days. Perhaps I will leave you with a simple one, I have the perfect reminder right here next to me. _ __   
__   


_ Do you remember this shell? You were so young at the time, I would be surprised if you did. I’ll be sure to leave it next to this letter, so you can look at it yourself. I told you once how shells like these are important, they mean something to those who dwell in the deep, the fact that you found one when you were so young is a miracle in and of itself. Shells like this one are important, Jack, they hold a special kind of magic inside them that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. My grandmother called them Ocean’s Blessings, a fitting enough name, though I believe you called yours a ‘Wishing Conch’ if my memory is correct.  _ __   
__   


_ I remember how excited you were when you found yours. You were just a little thing, with a missing tooth and sunburned cheeks, but you were more excited than I’d ever seen you when you ran up to me to show me what you found that day. It was like you knew you had found something special, like you could feel it. Whatever magic that was in this shell is long gone now, you used it all up with whatever wish you whispered into the shell, but it is still beautiful as it is. As pure a white as you were, and if you look closely, you’ll see a hint of red in the very center of the mother of pearl on the inside. The perfect shell for the perfect grandson.  _ __   
__   


_ I wish I could remember what you asked for, but my memory fades in and out these days, I remember it made me smile, whatever it was. _ __   
__   


_ I fear this letter is more the ramblings of an old woman than a decent goodbye. I truly hope you are well, and that you find happiness living in our manor, even if that happiness leads you away from it. Because beyond all else, beyond what your father wants, what your mother wants, and even what I want, you deserve to be happy. In a different world, I could be saying this to you in person. I could have watched you grow into the man you are today and been prouder than you could ever imagine, but this is not another world. In this world this letter is all I can offer you as closure, I know it will never be enough, but I hope it helps you anyway. Continue to smile for me, will you? It would make an old woman happy. _ __   
__   


_ I love you, never forget that. _ __   
__   


_ With you always, _ __   
__   


_ Adelia Spicer _   
  


 

Tears roll down Jack’s cheeks as he clutches the papers tightly in his hands, creasing and wrinkling them without realizing in his grief. He chokes down a sob when it bubbles up in his throat, taking one hand off the paper to slap it over his mouth to muffle the pained sounds as they flow past his lips. He sets the papers back onto the desk with his free hand, smoothing them out as well as he can with shaking hands. He stumbles back a step, then two, the back of his knee hit the side of the bed next to him and he crumples onto the mattress immediately, a cloud of dust flying into the air at the impact.   
  


Jack sits on the edge of the bed, head in his hands, finally giving in to the tears he’s wanted to cry for days now. He weeps just as openly as he had in the office at his grandmother’s funeral, gasping deep breaths to try and keep up with the tears flowing endlessly from his eyes. He doesn’t remember lying down, but suddenly he’s on his side on the bed, uncaring of the dust covering the sheets as he cries and cries. He stays like that for an unknown amount of time, until his eyes ache and he can’t cry anymore. He’s exhausted, has been for a while now, but now it overwhelms him, making his body feel heavy and weak as he sinks further into the mattress beneath him. His tired eyes catch on the white of the shell still resting on the desk, so bright in the dullness of the rest of the room. The color stays with him as his eyes finally fall shut, the tiny flash of red he spots from his place on the bed sticking to the back of his eyelids as he falls into a deep sleep.   
  


* * *

 

When he opens his eyes again he’s standing in front of the ocean. He’s smaller than he was when he fell asleep, the ocean looking massive and infinite as it stretches out in front of him. He turns to run from the coming waves, laughing giddly as he stumbles and flails in the nearly knee high water. When he turns back around to chase after the waves again, he sees a flash of white out of the corner of his eye. His curiosity piqued, he stops in his game to find the new and exciting something that he saw.

 

He rushes through the shallows excitedly, sending up splashes of water with every step. Soon, he leaves the water entirely, padding between the cool damp sand and the hot to keep his feet from burning as he makes his way towards the white thing on the edge of their beach, right next to the large flat rock that marks the end of where his grandmother will let him explore. He finds where the speck of white is easily, carefully digging out out of the wet sand until he can pick it up with his small hands.

 

It’s a shell, bright white and pretty, that send tingles up his arms when he touches it.

 

“Jack? Come here, darling, I don’t want you to burn!” his grandmother calls from her place next to the cliffs.

 

He looks over his shoulder at her, “Yes, Gran!” he calls back, picking up the shell and cradling it in his arms. He runs back to his grandmother, giddy with the funny tingling feeling the shell gives him as he hold it carefully in his arms, “Look what I found!”

 

His grandmother looks up from her back with a smile, brushing a gray streaked dark curl behind her ear before looking down at what he’s holding out to show her, “Well, that’s very nice indeed! Put that down for a moment though, we need to cover you in more sunscreen.”

 

“Yes, Gran!” he says, setting the shell carefully down on the towel his grandmother is sitting on and brushing the sand off his chest before allowing her to cover him in sunblock.

 

Once she’s done, she looks down at the shell next to her, picking it up carefully to look it over. She doesn’t seem to feel the tingling like he did, but she looks happy anyway, “Goodness, I do believe you’ve found yourself an Ocean’s Blessing! Very rare you know!” she grins at him, eyes dancing with glee as he gasps in excited surprise.

 

“What’s it do!?” He asks, half crawling into her lap to get a better look at the shell.

 

“My grandmother told me it grants wishes, though they are very rare, the ocean only gives them to it’s very best friends!” She explains, laughing a little at the starstruck expression on his face.

 

“Really?” he asks, brushing a hand over the shell as carefully as he can and giggling at the tiny tingle that run up his arm.

 

“Really. Have I ever lied to you before?” she asks, laughing again when he shakes his head rapidly, “Now you just need to think of a wish,” she says, setting the shell gently into his hands. 

 

He thinks very hard about his wish, his grandmother waits patiently for him to speak, shifting him to sit in her lap more comfortably. After a long time, he speaks, nearly vibrating with excitement.

 

“I wish the ocean would be my friend forever!”

 

* * *

 

Jack wakes up in his grandmother’s room. Early morning light fills the room with a hazy sort of glow, Jack has to blink several times to adjust to the low light, sitting up after a moment and rubbing the gummy feeling out of his eyes to wake himself fully. The dream comes back to him in pieces. Flashes of waves and sand, a child’s laughter, his grandmother’s voice, before suddenly it all clicks.

 

He scrambles to stand from the bed, kicking up more dust as he goes before falling gracelessly to the floor. He jumps up off the floor quickly, ignoring the streaks of dust covering his clothes as he fumble his way over to the desk. He picks up the shell carefully, looking it over as quickly as he can without taking the chance of breaking it. It feels like a regular shell in his hands, but the memory of the faint buzzing it once hummed with sticks with him anyway, though whether that was just part of the dream or reality is unclear.

 

Jack sets the shell back on the desk carefully, turning on his heel and exiting to room before he can second guess himself. He rushes down the stairs and through the house, heart pounding in his chest faster and faster as anticipation rushes through his veins, though for what he’s not sure. He’s outside before he can even think about putting on shoes or anything to protect his feet from the rocks of the cliffside, but he ignores that small danger in his rush to get down to the beach again, he has a feeling something important is waiting for him.

 

The beach is empty when he reaches it, quiet and calm as the waves roll onto the shore, not that Jack really expected something to be just waiting out in the open. Jack slows to a stop at the water’s edge, hunching over to catch his breath before he straightens to search the beach. The sand is pristine as ever around him, with no sign of anything strange or magical anywhere to give him a clue to what exactly he’s looking for. He climbs up on Chase’s rock to try and see better, and instantly feels stupid for following a dream-memory all the way out here. He sinks down to sit on the rock, throat suddenly tight with emotion, like a magic shell could really fix all his problems.

 

He shifts to pull his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and staring out into the ocean. He misses Chase. He longs for the merman to be here with him now, to call him an idiot and give him an unimpressed stare as he explains what he’s searching for. To curl up next to him and sit in silence, perfectly comfortable just taking in each other’s presence without words. He wants to see Chase more than anything in the world right now. He’d give anything for just another moment in his presence.

 

But nothing appears to fix his problems.

 

The ocean only laps at the rock underneath him in the same pattern as always, uncaring of his plight and of the ache it’s bringing to his chest. Jack closes his eyes, tucking his face into his knees like he can hide from the memories this place brings. Flashes of Chase’s face light up behind his eyelids; his bored expression, his haughty smirk, the rare brilliant flash of teeth when he smiled. It hurts like an old wound torn open, a deep ache that he can’t escape. He want to leave, run away from this place and never come back, but he also never wants to leave again.

 

The waves continue their motions against the rock, the quiet crash filling his ears as he does his best not to fall apart. The repetitive sound is broken by a small clink, like a teacup settling in it’s saucer. Jack looks up before he can think better of it, before he can stamp down on the jolt of hope the sound brings. But it isn’t Chase that breaks the pattern of the waves against the rocks.

 

A conch shell sits at his feet.

 

It glitters oddly in the sunlight, a golden sheen weaving subtly through the tan patterns covering its outside. Jack hardly breathes as he stares down at it, too afraid to move for several long moments in case it disappears in front of his eyes. Eventually, he reaches for the shell, arms unwrapping from around his legs and extending shakily towards it. It thrums with a strange energy when he touches it, different from the other magic he’s felt before yet oddly familiar. The inside of the shell is a shining gold, unnatural and beautiful in it’s oddity, a flash of deep green lines the innermost curve of the shell, the same color as Chase’s tail. Jack breathes out shakily as he brings the shell closer to him, legs sliding down to stretch out in front of him as he focuses full on the shell in his hands. He hesitates for a moment, afraid to hope this could actually work, but he forces himself to take a deep breath.

 

“I wish…”

 

* * *

 

Jack had always loved the ocean.

 

The sound of the waves, the smell of the air, the tang of salt on his tongue, he relished in it all. The ocean held both his happiest memories and his worst, all wrapped up neatly in one package of emotion that saved him as much as it threatened to drown him. He felt centered on its shores and swimming in its waters, never afraid it would turn on him even when it had every opportunity to. Even its most dangerous creatures were gentle and protective of him. 

 

So yes, Jack loved the ocean.

 

The warm, safe feeling of contentment that surrounds him as he glides through the water, the rush as he darts through it, the endless blue that stretches out in front of him, it makes him feel whole, complete. He’s never felt more alive than he does in this moment, heart beating in his chest like a drum as he glides through the warm waters. He feels himself grinning, feels the water rush past sharp teeth, smooth and easy like air. He has more energy than he’s ever had before, the only thing distracting him from his task being the occasional flash of red out of the corner of his eye, but he ignores that as best as he can. The warm embrace of the ocean guides him along, and Jack doesn’t worry about where it’s taking him, only following along obediently. A flash of green ahead of him has him gasping happily and darting forward, water rushing through the gills in his sides.

 

He’d simply forgotten that the ocean loved him just as much.

 

“Chase!”

 

The ocean had given him many gifts in his lifetime, what’s one more between friends?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for sticking with me to the end of this fic!!! I had a lot of fun writing this, and I already have a couple more projects in the works right now so expect more from me soon!
> 
> (Just to clarify: In the end when Jack calls out Chase's name, he's not actually speaking, but is doing that trilling call thing Chase told him his name was a while back. But that's not as dramatic, so I changed it to Chase ;3)
> 
> You can find my beta [here](https://comfortably-chaotic-mind.tumblr.com/) and [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_hunter93/pseuds/Shadow_hunter93)
> 
> And my tumblr is [here](http://peachpandabear.tumblr.com/) if you want to chat!!


End file.
